You call this fun?
by Purplerubarb
Summary: Catarina Lewis' life was never easy, but she was fighting to make her dreams come true. When she finally faced the truth- that life was simply not going as she expected, she was forced to make some big decisions. Instead, she found herself in Thedas. Now she is making choices by the seat of her pants, being swept into adventure with friends who make life and death look like a game.
1. Chapter 1

He continued to wander around town, because there was no other way he could think of to rid his mind of his accursed thoughts. No matter how he tried to distract himself, what he had done would return with a vengeance, and he would shut down. He couldn't comprehend why he would act this way; why his body would seize up with pain and he would lose whatever he had managed to eat since the last time. He was an __assassin__ for the Maker's sake. He did not feel bad, or guilty when he ended a life, it was simply his job; his way to earn food and shelter.

'Ah, but that wasn't the issue this time was it?'his inner voice reminded him. 'She was not your target, not the reason you were sent on this job.' He grimaced at himself, as he continued to walk along the cobbled streets, not noticing those around him, yet aware of his surroundings all the same.

'You were wrong about her,' his mind told him, as if he didn't already know. 'You couldn't wait to betray one of those closest to you.' He saw again in his mind, the look of pain and anguish on her face as he came in for the kill. He stopped and supported himself with a hand on the nearby building.

It had been weeks ago, and yet still as fresh in his mind as the day it happened. One of his lovers- Rinna- had betrayed them, himself and Taliesen, and set them up to take the fall for failing to kill their mark. They had done what any respectable assassins would do, and gone for her head before she could. 'Impulsive, brash, and foolish' his mind reminded him. 'And yet you wouldn't listen. This woman whom you supposedly loved, told you the truth, and you __laughed,__ and then killed her.'

'Brasca, stop reminding me!' he thought back. It was not lost on him that he was arguing with himself, in his own mind. It happened regularly these past few weeks, and if he was being honest, more frequently with each day that passed. This argument was one that he could never win. All it accomplished was to remind him of his failures, and it was slowly driving him mad. Taliesen tried to help at first, but how could he, when he felt no remorse at all, and therefore couldn't understand?

Days, then weeks passed as he sunk further and further into despair. No matter how he tried, he could not get the events of that fateful day out of his mind. To make matters worse, his own mind now betrayed him constantly as it just had, bringing his hopeless thoughts up with regularity. He had never gone insane himself, but imagined that this would be how it happened.

'How far I have fallen,' he thought. 'The mighty assassin Zevran, part of the Antivan Crows, brought down by a death that he had caused.' He wished he was dead, for if he was, he wouldn't have to feel this way anymore. Of course, it wasn't as simple as killing himself. He had his pride after all, and though he wasn't sure he believed in the Maker, he had been taught that suicide was unforgivable. True, that may have been more about the Crow's reputation than sin, but better safe than sorry. If it was his choice, he would go down in battle- it was the least he could do, to feel the pain and anguish of his own death, to help compensate for hers.

'That's it!' he thought. It wasn't the best plan, but it was a plan at least! Finding a fight that could kill him would not be easy, because he was pretty awesome. It may take time, but he would succeed. He could not continue to feel this way any longer. With that decision made, he stood up straight, and continued walking through the town, though with more purpose in his steps than before.

A scream rang out nearby, and though he normally would have ignored it, he found himself veering from his path to follow the sound. If he was going to find this legendary fight that would claim his life, he had to be prepared at any time and in any place.

He came to the mouth of an alley where a woman was being stalked by a large man, while several of his friends created a wall from which she could not escape. There was something strange about this woman, though she was very lovely. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, and brought his hand up to stroke his chin as he studied her. Her fair skin proved that she was no native to this land, and the creaminess of her skin proved she was no servant. However the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks and her manner of dress made him doubt she was a noble.

"Ah, a mystery woman, always my favorite type." He said without thinking. All of the men froze, and turned to look at him.

"Be on your way, friend. There is nothing for you here but death," the large man who was obviously the leader of the group said. He held the woman with one arm, the other hand placed over her mouth so she couldn't scream again. Zevran looked in her eyes, surprised and highly amused to see anger instead of fear as he expected.

"Truly?" he replied to the man. "Just what I was looking for!"

All the men looked at him in confusion, and he couldn't blame them. What manner of man went looking for death after all?

"You may think yourself brave, but your bravery will get you killed. Leave now, or die, I will not warn you again," the large man said.

"I am counting on it," Zevran said with a smirk as he pulled his daggers out of the sheaths from behind his back.

The large man scowled, as he put his hand around the woman's throat. "Do __not__ __move,"__ he ordered her, and threw her so that she fell down behind him. "Get him, and make it quick," he told his friends, "We've got more important things to get back to."

Zevran smirked. "No my good man, there is nothing more important than myself." He waited as the men began to close in around him, before smiling. Perhaps his skill would be enough against seven opponents and perhaps not. One thing was sure however,if he was to die, he would not be dying alone.

* * *

True, Ugly Brute (as she had dubbed him) had told her not to move, however she never was good at taking orders. She had woke to find herself somewhere she didn't recognize, and had been wandering around this strange town before being accosted and dragged into an alley by no less than eight men, who looked (and smelled!) like they had never heard of a shower. She moved slowly, so as not to gain attention to her as she inched backwards and got to her feet. Once she was crouched, and ready to run for it, she looked up at her would-be rescuer, thankful he was such a great distraction, and hoping he was okay.

What she saw, stopped her in her tracks. As her eyes followed the quick and seemingly effortless movements of the man, it dawned on her. She was dreaming! It was so absurd that she giggled, and quickly put her hand over her mouth to stop the noise. It had been a long time since she had watched Lord of the Rings, but here was Legolas, defending her from evil men. Although… he looked different. Her mind most likely changed his features, since she wasn't really into Orlando Bloom.

As she studied the man… no, she corrected herself, the elf… she congratulated her mind for a job well done. She didn't recognize him as another actor, but dang! He was smokin' hot! His long blond, almost white hair pulled back from his face at his temples, the high slashing cheekbones, the ears… not to mention the skin tight armor, and all the rippling muscles. 'Oh yeah, good job brain!' she told herself.

She continued to watch in awe, as he jumped, kicked, rolled and punched the men around him, without taking a single hit in return. His daggers were flying as he stabbed and sliced, hitting vital places while not even looking. As suddenly as it had begun, the fight was over, and he was the only one standing. He sheathed his daggers slowly, and turned to face her. She noticed too late, that he was looking not at her, but behind her.

Ugly Brute grabbed her again, hooking his arm around her throat. She was certain it was him, because his odor made her skin crawl and she felt like vomiting. She was extremely angry to find herself caught and used as some sort of hostage, and she was not having another minute of it!

Bringing her foot up, she brought her heel down on his instep, and without waiting for a response, she bit down hard on his nasty, hairy arm. She could hear his yell, though it sounded far away and smiled knowing she was bringing him pain.

"You stupid wench!" He screamed, and turned her by her shoulder while bringing back his arm to punch her in the face. She moved quickly, bringing her knee up as hard as she could between his legs. He yanked her down by her hair as he collapsed and began rocking on his back while cradling his genitals. She glanced around and picked up a cobblestone laying near her on the street.

"The name's not wench, it's Rina!" she yelled and plowed the rock like a fist into his face, hearing the crunching sound as his nose broke. "That's right!" she yelled as she dropped the stone, and stood up. She turned to walk away, and rammed face first into ugly junior, one of Ugly Brute's friends. He grabbed her head and slammed her into the wall. The last thing she saw was the blue of the sky before everything went black.

* * *

He winced as her head cracked as it met the wall. He turned to the hairy man that had accosted her and smiled.

"It seems I must hurt you some more then, yes?" he said as he reached behind his back to draw out his daggers. The hairy man looked scared, instantly regretting his decision to rejoin the fight. He looked left then right, searching for an escape, and the elf laughed and pointed to a stack of crates behind him. The hairy man seized the opportunity and climbed the crates without thought, almost reaching the top before the crates collapsed and sent him crashing back down. The elf laughed again, watching the man knock himself out in his haste to get away.

He turned and looked at the woman. She was definitely a mystery. He had been amused and impressed as she had taken out the leader of the gang, and felt slightly responsible for her predicament- though she should not have let her guard down. He thought for a minute before stooping down, gathering her up and carrying her over his shoulder as he headed home. She must be worth something to someone, and would make a good distraction as he waited to collect.

* * *

"So, you don't know anything? Where am I supposed to start looking, in some random alley?"

"I told you what I know, if you can't do it, just say so."

"Oh, I can do it. I just don't know why you make things so difficult!"

Rina could hear the voices speaking to each other, though their conversation meant little to her. Right now she was more focused on the intense pain on the side of her head. Slowly, the memories of the day came back to her, though she tried to not focus too much as it only increased the throbbing in her skull. She heard the door slam, and winced uncontrollably at the stab of pain caused by the sound.

"Ah, you are finally awake," a soft voice crooned near her. "I was beginning to worry that the damage was more significant than I originally thought."

Rina grimaced, and cracked one eye open, then quickly shut it as the world spun. After some time, she was able to fully open her eyes and slowly sit up.

"Here." She looked up to see Hot Stuff (as she had dubbed him earlier) holding out some sort of leaf to her. She took it and continued looking at it as she held it, wondering what its purpose was, and what he wanted her to do with it.

His left brow rose in question as he watched her play with the pain killer. "It will do you more good in your mouth than in your hand." He commented, amused.

"Oh, right." She played it off, and quickly popped the leaf into her mouth and began to chew it. "Uh, thanks. It's great." She said between her teeth. She froze as he burst out laughing. "What?" she asked.

"I've never witnessed someone chew the tannen leaf before," He replied. Most simply place it under their tongue." He roared again with laughter as her face went red. "Obviously you are not familiar with it," he commented once he had calmed down, though his grin still remained. Rina found herself smiling back, as she moved the lump of chewed vegetation under her tongue. She continued to look at Hot Stuff, enjoying the view he provided her, eyes roaming down and returning to his, to see a wicked looking smirk on his face that only added to his appeal.

"See something you like my dearest?" He asked. "I'd be more than happy to show you more…" His voice dropped into a husky tone that had Rina practically swooning.

"Um, sorry about that," she started as he leaned against the wall with a shrug, though his smirk stayed in place. "I'm just trying to figure out where I am, and how I got here. Everything is quite jumbled in my head just now."

"I'm certain," he replied. "You are my guest, here in my home."

"And you are…?" She asked.

"You do not know? I thought all the beautiful women in Antiva knew of me." He continued to smirk as he stood straight and executed a bow with great flourish. "Zevran Arainai, at your service."


	2. Chapter 2

Rina rolled her eyes with a sigh. It was painfully (literally) clear that she was not having some sort of dream due to the dull ache in her head. With a start she realized that whatever he had given her was some sort of pain killer, and it was amazingly effective. The intense throbbing from minutes ago was now a constant ache that was much more manageable. Even so, no matter how hot this guy was, she didn't need a bedtime story, or some guy acting out his role playing fantasies with her. Although her mind threw questions out like, 'how do you explain everything that has happened then?' and 'hello, what about his ears?' and her personal favorite, 'who cares, he's gorgeous!'; she ignored them all in favor of reality.

"Riiiight…." She drawled out. "And I bet you're an assassin, part of the Crows too." Her words were practically dripping with sarcasm, though she noticed he perked up.

"So you have heard of me!" He pointed to her, almost like an accusation.

"Uh huh," she continued. "Sorry, but I'm not buying it. The Crows aren't real, Zevran isn't real. Either you're some freaky creep in a really good costume, or I'm somehow still dreaming." She noticed as she spoke that his smile became a frown, and then a sneer at her words.

He walked slowly towards her. "I suppose," He spoke nonchalantly, but his eyes were zeroed in on hers. "that to the __common__ people, stories of me or the Crows can seem like a dream or a nightmare depending on your point of view. But, I assure you," he advanced on her quickly and before she could blink, his dagger was at her cheek. "It is true."

At this point, Rina could feel herself shaking. She knew her eyes must be wide open, but she couldn't blink, for fear that he would do something. This was not the Zevran she knew, he wasn't kind and funny. He was dangerous. 'And,' she thought, 'looks like he will enjoy hurting me.' His grin has a meanness, that grows bigger as her fear becomes more apparent.

"Now that we understand each other, my little dove, who are you?" He asked.

"R-Rina" She squeaked.

"Hmm, so I did hear that correctly." He continued under his breath, "I am happy I am not crazy like I thought…"

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." His serene face instantly took back the menacing sneer. "Now is the time to prove your worth."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"It is simple. Either you help us, and we get a ransom from your relatives and you go home safe and sound, or we take you to Lady Jasmine at the whorehouse who will pay your ransom and give you a new home and career." He chuckled as he saw her expression. "I did save your life after all… I should be compensated for my… services," he added.

"Sounds to me like you are the one who belongs in a whorehouse!" She lashed out, her anger and her fear warring within her.

He smirked at her again, and she thought of it as his default expression. "What a quick and clever tongue you have. I hope it is clever at more than words."

"Ugh," she said disgusted. "Does your Casanova routine ever work?"

"Casanova?"

"The infamous lover?"

He chuckled, "already you compare me to this infamous lover? I must have made a very good impression." She almost laughed at his innuendo, but didn't want to egg him on further.

"Look, uh…" she began.

"Zevran," he helpfully supplied.

"Right, Zevran. Look, I just don't believe you. Zevran isn't real. I'm obviously having a really long, involved dream…"she trailed off, trying to make sense of it all.

"Not just an infamous lover, but being in my presence is like a dream come true, yes?" he asked. Her eyes snapped wide again as she felt his finger sliding down her cheek. Somehow without her noticing, his dagger was replaced by his hand, and she hadn't even seen him move! She automatically recoiled back, moving so that he no longer touched her so that she could think again.

"Do I make you nervous, little dove?" His voice, low and soft made her spine snap straight.

"It's Rina," she said in a commanding tone.

He shakes his head, appearing to have thought about using her actual name and dismissing the notion. "Little Dove is more fitting. Beautiful and aloof, nervous and shaking when nearby a…" his voice lowered even more as his lips skimmed her ear, "predator."

Rina shivered. When did he get so close? Her eyes closed as she felt him tracing her collarbone with a finger. 'Think Rina! Think!' she told herself. She still couldn't believe this was real, but it surely felt real. So, assuming it was… what did she know about Zevran?

"Um… an Antivan Crow…" she mumbled.

"hmm?"

"...partnered with Taliesen and… Rinna."

Her eyes opened as she felt his hand around her throat. There was no pressure applied, but she could feel the threat, as well as see it on his face.

"And?" he asked menacingly.

She continued before she thought it through. "He wanted to die, so he took the contract on the Grey Wardens," she finished softly. The dagger was back on her cheek before she could blink.

"And now, you will tell me how you came by this knowledge," His hand tightened once around her throat to emphasize his point. "It would be very bad for you if you were to lie to me," he said.

'Should I tell him?' she asked herself. The steely anger in his eyes leaves no choice, so she'll try the super condensed version.

"Okay," she sighs, "but you won't believe me."

"Try me."

"I'm not from here," she began.

"Antiva? That is quite obvious." he interrupted.

"Wait, we're in Antiva?" she asked, brightening. "Hmm, it's warmer than I thought it would be." The noise he made sounded like some sort of growl. "And what do you mean, obvious?!"

He snarled, "I asked you a question. Either answer it, or die, your choice."

"Okay, okay, jeez. Freak out much?" she complained. As he lifted his dagger, she hurried to continue. "I don't know how I got here. Last night, I went to bed at home. Today, I wake up in a street, in different clothes."

"That explains nothing." He adjusted his grip on his dagger.

"I'm getting there!" she said sharply. "Back home, I heard a story. It was an epic adventure, full of danger, battle, romance, you name it." She spoke quickly at his pointed look. "There were many characters in this story, but one of them was an assassin."

He gave no reaction.

"He was an Antivan Crow."

No reaction.

"Named Zevran Arainai."

He paused and said, "I don't believe you."

"I knew you wouldn't," she replied calmly.

"Then why tell me this… this fabrication?" he demanded.

She looked him in the eye and said, "because you told me not to lie."

There was silence as they stared at each other, before Zevran finally spoke. "And in this… story, I take a contract to kill a Grey Warden?"

"Two actually," she answered.

His eyes widened. "Two legendary warriors, against myself?" he asked.

"Well, yes." she answered. "In the story, you were determined to die in battle, in a blaze of glory, as it were."

"Hmph," he grunted. "With such a clever tongue, I am surprised you could not give me a better story than that." She looked fearfully at his dagger as he raised his arm and drew it back. "Whorehouse it is then," he stated as he sheathed his dagger behind him. He noticed the look on her face, "Don't look so relieved," he smiled as she looked confused. "Soon enough, I'm sure you'll wish I had killed you."

Before she could retaliate, the door opened behind them, and Taliesen walked in speaking.

"Zev, you'll never believe what Anerio told me… oh!"he stopped as he looked at Rina. "So, your lovely lady has awoken at last." He looked back to Zevran, "are we writing a note, or taking a trip to see Lady Jasmine?" he asked.

"Jasmine," Zevran answered.

"Oh…" he smirked coldly at Rina. "That's too bad, for you anyway. I'll be sure to come visit whenever I can darling."

Rina never was adept at keeping her emotions off her face, and Zevran smirked at her as well when he saw the utter disgust written there. He decided to change the subject.

"What were you saying earlier Tali?" he asked. "Something about Anerio?"

Taliesen's attention returned to Zevran, and Rina breathed a silent sigh of relief. The guy was a sleaze ball.

"You'll never believe it, Zev," Taliesen said. "House Arainai accepted a contract for some Grey Wardens!"

Zevran felt his blood chill as he stood in shock. He turned his head to look at Rina, though he didn't say a thing.

Taliesen's eyes narrowed in concern and mistrust. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Grey Wardens." Zevran addressed Taliesen again. "Are you sure?"

"That's what Anerio says." Taliesen looked back at Rina again, trying to understand the underlying tension in the room. "He says no one is stupid enough to accept it though. I think the head of house is simply trying to rise up in esteem by biting off more than we can chew."

Rina stayed still and silent, unsure of what would happen next. She couldn't understand this Zevran before, and now she was unnerved by his silence.

"Come on," Zevran started guiding Rina across the room, though it was obvious he was speaking to Taliesen.

"What? Where?" Taliesen replied. "I want to try our new acquisition before we sell her off, so we know how much to ask for," he eyed Rina with a sleazy grin on his face.

"She'll be fine here while we find out about the contract," Zevran replied.

"Are you crazy?" Taliesen asked before Zevran had him by the throat.

"What did you just call me?!" he demanded. Taliesen grabbed him in return by the nape of the neck seemingly used to Zevran's treatment.

He spoke calmly, though his face was thunderous. "Zev, don't act recklessly. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves," he voice became quieter, and Rina had to strain to hear him. "They may decide to give us this contract because of what happened on our last one."

Zevran winced, and his face showed the pain and regret that came crashing back on him. He took his hand from Taliesen's throat and cupped his cheek with his palm.

"I need to know Tali," he spoke, the emotion coming through. "It's important."

Taliesen gazed into his eyes for a minute, before sighing. "Fine," he said. "But let's keep in the background, okay?"

"But of course."

Taliesen grabbed Rina's arm and pushed her into a side room, that she honestly thought had been a closet. She heard the door lock after he had closed it in her face.

"Stay put sweetheart," she heard Taliesen call to her. "We'll get to know each other better soon enough."

Finding herself alone for the first time, Rina looked around the tiny room. There wasn't much. A chair, and some sort of pot in the corner. As she got nearer to peer into it, she realized by the faint smell that it was a chamber pot. And of course, as soon as she thought about it, she realized she would need to use it, and soon.

Having gotten that out of the way, she thanked her lucky stars that she didn't have to use it in front of either of the men. There was only so much her mind could take at this point. Her bathroom woes were quickly replaced by everything she had experienced today, from the Ugly Brute and his gang, to Zevran's flirt or be killed attitude, to Taliesen's not so veiled rape references. She started feeling queasy. 'This can't be real… right?' she thought. She reached up and slapped her cheek, hard. Nothing happened, so she tried again. And again. Finally, she hit her head against the wall, which only made her headache return. She turned around and leaned back against the wall. No matter how many times she tried to deny it, the reality of her situation could not be pushed aside any longer. She slowly slid to the floor as her knees buckled. Bringing her knees to her chest, she laid her head on her knees, closed her eyes and wished she were home.


	3. Chapter 3

Rina sat up suddenly, panting. She quickly glanced all around her, trying desperately to find the source of her fear, but everything looked normal. She picked up the controller to her PlayStation and focused on the TV. She could see her character standing in the corner of a room, facing the wall. She couldn't help but laugh as she realized that she had fallen asleep while playing Dragon Age, again. She continued to giggle, relieved, as she thought of the dream she had conjured due to her obsession with the games. Getting all the achievements wasn't enough, no, she wanted to experience everything with every character, with every configuration of her party. At this point, she knew the games so well, she no longer needed to look at the map or the quest list.

She turned her head, as the door opened and Steven, her husband, walked in. He glanced in her direction, and continued in without saying anything. She hung her head down. She had been putting this off for long enough. "Look, Steve," she called out. "Maybe… maybe we should talk."

He turned back to look at her. "What?"

"Look at us," she began. "We hardly talk anymore, you completely ignore me most of the time. I don't know how to fix this without you talking to me!" She pleaded with him, as she couldn't live like this anymore. They were barely roommates, when they were supposed to be spouses. "Please, talk to me. What's going on?"

He looked at her dispassionately, and spoke in monotone. "I've been rethinking my life choices that I've made for the last six years."

"Six…" her heart lurched. That's how long he's known her. "So?" she asked, not really certain she wanted to know.

He looked away and sighed, "so, I don't want to be married anymore."

Rina sat up suddenly, panting. She quickly glanced left and right, noticing there was nothing in the small room to cause her heart to be racing. It took a moment to realize that she was in the room where Taliesen and Zevran had placed her, which meant… she had been dreaming. It took a few minutes, and a couple of slaps and pinches before she decided she was now awake. Unless it was a dream within a dream… No, she laughed at herself. Because THAT would be ridiculous.

It was odd, during the dream, she had been so shocked, like she hadn't known it was coming. She somehow couldn't remember all the time that had passed, how she had turned her life around, and realized how unhappy she truly had been. Once she woke up, all her memories returned, and she was no longer upset. Perhaps it was less a dream, and more of a reliving of the past. Either way, not something she really wanted to dwell on. She was more concerned with how to get out of here, and back home.

She stilled as she heard voices, but no one came to the room she was in. She stood slowly and walked quietly to the door, placing her ear on the wood. The voices became somewhat clearer, though she wasn't sure if it was because of her new position, or because they were getting louder and louder.

"This … insane Zev! How … do this? We have … chance against … -ardens!" she couldn't make out everything Taliesen was saying, but she thought she could guess the meaning clearly.

"You can't … stand!" Zevran shouted. "… is no we! I must … this, and you … stop … want to die!"

"I can- … help …this. You … on … own now… won't … by and watch … destroy …"

Rina could hear how emotional the conversation was becoming, and felt like some sort of intruder. She lifted her head, and went back to her position against the wall.

It didn't take long until she heard rummaging, and finally the slamming of a door. A few moments later, the door to her room was unlocked, and swung open to reveal Zevran.

"Come on out then, it seems luck favors you today little dove." He calmly said without looking at her. "You are free to go. I won't be taking you to see Jasmine today."

Rina clenched her fingers together, unnerved by the sadness on his face. "Are … are you, all right?" she asked hesitantly.

"Not really, no," he said honestly, surprising her and himself. He quickly put his defenses back up. "Do not worry little dove, I may be down for a moment, but you will be pleased to know I will be back __up__ in no time," giving his eyebrow a wiggle as he said "up."

Rina rolled her eyes. "And, the moment's gone, well done," she teased him. She was glad for the sudden change in demeanor, as she didn't want him to know how much she wanted to reach out to him in that moment.

"Well," he said, "if we are not … having a moment, then I must prepare for my journey to Ferelden. I have a contract to execute, as it were." He guided her towards the door and opened it for her. "It was a pleasure to meet you little dove. I wish you well." He gave a small bow, and gestured towards the open door.

Rina hesitated. She knew she had been lucky earlier that day with his timely rescue, and she knew good luck never held out for long. She didn't know why, but she needed to get to Ferelden. True, she really wanted to meet the wardens, perhaps even the entire party before she found some way to get home. But really, she didn't see how she could survive a day in Antiva alone.

"Actually…" she stopped at the smirk on his face.

"Oh?" his brow quirked up. "We are having a moment? How delicious…" he said as if savoring the word, as he began to close the door.

"No, that's not what I meant!" she exclaimed

"Oh." The disappointment seemed genuine, as he opened the door fully again. "Then I am truly sorry to see you go, but most assuredly, I will enjoy watching you leave." He eyed her up and down, making her feel like covering herself even though she was fully dressed.

"I want to go too," she said. "To Denerim," she clarified.

"Denerim?" he asked, suddenly serious, his face like a mask. "Why would I go there? Why would you?"

"But don't you have to meet your contact there? I thought…" she trailed off as she realized her mistake. She wasn't supposed to know the particulars. "Uh, I mean the wardens are in Ferelden, so it seems the logical -" She hesitated again, but settled on the truth. "I already told you. Before," she added, watching him flinch in remembrance.

"A story, from your homeland," he said dubiously. "Answer me this then, can you see the future?"

"Hell no," she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I? I am not the one being ridiculous," he said accusingly. He stepped closer, into her personal space and asked, "Why?"

She could pretend to not understand, but really, what would be the point? She was asking for a favor, she shouldn't antagonize him. "There's someone in Fereldan, a powerful witch, who may be the only one who can help me get home." His eyebrow quirked up, but he said nothing. "And… the wardens know where she is," she finished.

"And if I kill the wardens?" he asked.

"She can shape shift into a dragon. If the wardens aren't tough enough to kill you, I'm sure she would be happy to," she deadpanned and he roared with laughter.

* * *

It took a lot more convincing, and finally some begging before he agreed to take her along. He could see her suspicion once he agreed, but in all honesty he had simply wanted to see her beg, and quite the sight it was. It definitely grated her pride, and he could see it in the way her teeth and fists were clenched, but she did so nonetheless. He didn't dwell on his feelings, as he didn't quite understand them, but he knew he couldn't simply leave her to the wolves, or well, Crows.

He booked passage on a merchant ship traveling to Denerim and after packing essentials for them both, he handed her a pack and took off for the docks. He would use this week aboard the vessel to hammer out his plan of attack for the wardens. They were obviously clever, if the man that was essentially ruling the kingdom was unable to find and kill them.

* * *

Zevran turned and looked at Rina as they set foot about dry land again.

"You look dreadful my dear," he said chuckling.

"No thanks to you!" she hissed back. True enough, once she had told him her plans to accompany him, he had spent most of the voyage training her to be more aware of her surroundings. He hadn't let her sleep for more than a couple hours at a time before scaring her awake with some tactic or trap. He jumped out of so many corners around the ship that she had come to expect him everywhere.

"That's true.." he purred at her. She stopped and stared at him, wary. He laughed, "and now you will not be caught unawares, will you?" he asked.

"No," she answered, glad that there was actually a reason for the torture of the last several days, more than simply to torment her.

She hooked her arm in his, and let him guide her, as she was exhausted. When they finally made it to their destination, she was hardly surprised to see the Pearl.

He looked over, ready to make some sort of apology for the need to bring her here, but stopped when he saw the smile on her face and awe in her eyes. It made him smile as well, taking in the child-like wonder on her face.

He leaned over to speak in her ear, "So, you want to… go in?" He noticed her shiver before she turned her head.

"Can we?" she asked eagerly. He smiled at her excitement, "Really? What could we possibly do, together, inside a brothel? He grinned as her face fell into a sneer at his question.

"Ugh, why do I even try?" she muttered. He didn't answer, simply lead her inside.


	4. Chapter 4

Zevran was quick, she had to admit. By the next morning, they were leaving Denerim, back onto the road and heading east. Before they left, he had given instructions to all the mercenaries he had hired the previous day, and they had all been sent on different paths in order to find where the wardens were traveling.

Rina was just happy that he hadn't kept any mercs to travel with the two of them, because they all gave her the creeps. Most of them leered at her in a way that made her uncomfortable, but there were also a few that sneered at her because of the way Zevran flirted with __her__. It wasn't like she asked him to always be touching her in some way, just the opposite! He seemed to instinctively know her boundaries, and he never crossed them, but he was always close. Either taking her hand or arm in his as they walked, or tucking her hair behind her ear when it got in her face.

She was having such a good time with him, that the days of walking went by quickly. She had surprised him with her knowledge of how to clean and cook the game he caught, and had told him a little about Steven- how she had tried to do the things he enjoyed, like hunting and fishing. How she had wanted to make him proud of her and kept it up until she could do it right.

He peppered her with questions about the "man who must have been blessed by the Maker to have had her," but she evaded them as best she could, simply saying he was someone she was once involved with, and left it at that.

He once asked about her prowess at hunting, and she told him about her lack of skill with the bow Steven had given her. They laughed as she regaled him with stories of her ineptitude with the weapon, and how Steven had finally admitted defeat and gotten her a crossbow. She wasn't much better with that, but at least she could sporadically catch some game.

She tried once to bring up the idea that killing the wardens wasn't his only option, but he became angry and refused to speak to her for several hours. He was stubborn, but then again, so was she. She considered him a friend by this point, and was worried that the wardens may not decide to spare him. She started listing the pros and cons of killing the wardens versus joining them, and she did so out loud to ensure that he heard. He didn't comment, and she could only hope that it gave him something to think about.

All too soon, the mercs rejoined them, and Zevran's plan was revealed. He explained what he wanted to accomplish, and where, in order to avoid unnecessary death. Though they didn't care about that, in order to get paid, they followed his instructions. Based on the warden's location, it was decided to travel quickly towards Lake Calanhad and set up the ambush.

Rina struggled to keep up as they traveled throughout most of the night in order to get there quickly. Though he wasn't sympathetic to her complaining, Zevran slowed their pace. She ignored the complaints and glares from the mercs, but when the blond woman came to threaten her life if they weren't there in time for them to set up the ambush properly, she grew slightly concerned. The details of how she would be killed provided sufficient motivation for her to push herself. No one wants to be burnt alive after all.

She also noticed that they closer they got to their destination, the more aloof Zevran became. The two women with the group were more than happy to distract him, which left Rina walking alone, and avoiding everyone else. She couldn't understand what was going on with him, but could hardly find out with the two "ladies" hanging off him.

After what seemed like days of walking, they finally stopped. Rina immediately collapsed to the ground to rest, pain radiating in her shins. She sat there rubbing her legs for some time, trying to get rid of the stabbing pain when Zevran knelt in front of her and grabbed her leg.

"What are you doing?!" she asked him, trying to pull her leg back to herself.

"If you want to get rid of the pain, I can help you," he answered quietly. He looked at her with a slight smirk on his face, but still gently as he put pressure on her shin with his thumb, moving it up and down the pain affected area.

Rina let out a sigh of relief. While not gone, the impromptu massage was doing wonders for the pain. She smiled at him, and noticing movement behind him, saw the blond woman that threatened her glaring daggers.

"Ah, thanks Zevran, it feels much better now," she said, and pulled her leg again. This time he let her, with a questioning look.

"I know I excel at the massage, but I'm sure even my magic fingers cannot heal pain so quickly," he said.

With another look behind him, Rina sat cross-legged to ensure he couldn't grab her leg again. She tried to keep her face straight, but the woman was holding __fire__ in her hand now. She had to do what she could to let her know that she had no intentions when it came to Zevran.

"I see," he said, and got up and went to speak to the others.

Rina took a deep breath, and closing her eyes, released it. Yes, she considered him a friend, and didn't like the look he just gave her, but it wasn't worth being hurt or even killed because someone else thought they were romantically involved. She waited until they had a fire going, before getting up to join them. She sat as far from Zevran as she could, sitting against a tree stump in front of the flames. She fell asleep before they even had tents erected.

She awoke with the stiffest neck she'd ever had. Sleeping while sitting up all night caused all sorts of stiffness throughout her entire body. Looking around as best she could, she could sense something was off, but wasn't sure what it was. She stood and stretched, loosening her muscles. She stopped as she noticed how quiet everyone was. That was the same moment she realized that she was actually alone.

Rina's strides ate up the path as she stormed after her traveling companions. She could easily believe that the mercs would leave her behind, but how could Zevran have been okay with this? She steamed about him, his mercenaries, and her situation in general as she continued walking.

She tried to scream as she was suddenly grabbed, but quick as a whip, a large hand covered her mouth. Her eyes widened as she could tell whoever held her, was not Zevran. She pushed and elbowed, trying to get away before whoever held her hooked an arm around her waist, pinning her arms down in the process.

"Well.. look what I caught," a voice said quietly. She froze as she recognized him as one of the mercs that was constantly leering at her. She tried threatening him to let her go before Zevran killed him, but it didn't have the impact she was trying for with his hand still over her mouth. It seemed that her could guess her intent, as he laughed mockingly at her.

"No one around, just the two of us," he told her. She knew she needed to fight. She couldn't afford to freeze up any longer. Feeling his arm move from her waist and grab her breast threw her into action. She grabbed his hand and bit down as hard as she could. He yelped, and tried to pull her off by her hair, but she held on. He finally reached back and backhanded her on the cheek, and the flew back a few paces and rolled a bit as she landed.

She was dazed, but her mind screamed at her to run, get away as fast as she could! She stood shakily, and ran through the trees. She had no idea which direction she was heading, just knew that she needed to get away! She hit several trees, tripped over branches and bushes, but managed to somehow keep on her feet. As she ran, she somehow came back to the path, which helped her move a little faster.

She ran, though she was tiring quickly, and ran right into someone's arms. She couldn't think, she couldn't fight so she screamed as loudly as she could.

Zevran couldn't believe it. He had left Rina sleeping back at camp. When Selene had suggested it, he was quick to refuse, however the more he had thought about it, the idea had merit. It would keep her safe, and would keep her from trying to stop him, for he was sure that was her intention. But now, right as Selene was about to run forward to entice the wardens into their trap, she came barreling out of the trees and straight into the warden's arms screaming at the top of her lungs.

He watched as she she recoiled back away from the man in armor, realizing the predicament she was in.

"I'll kill her," he heard Selene hiss out next to him.

"It can still work," he said. "She'll bring them into the trap unwittingly."

"Hanric was supposed to keep her occupied," she seethed quietly.

"What?" he turned to look at her, and noticed that she paled slightly.

"Nothing," she answered. His eyes narrowed, as he understood that his mercs had made plans without his knowledge involving Rina. They would definitely __discuss__ this after the battle.

Zevran and Selene watched as Rina was walking backwards, looking wildly around for something, though they weren't sure if her instinct was flight or fight. The warden's group was slowly advancing on her, with the armored man in the lead, though he had his hands up as if trying to calm and assure her that he meant no harm.

Zevran smiled, the plan was shot, but Rina was accomplishing the mission. Just a few more meters and they would be able to spring their trap. As if she knew this as well, she stopped retreating and held her palm out to the group in a stop gesture. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but knew it couldn't be good.

"That's it!" Selene hissed. "If we fell the tree now, we won't trap them all, but it's all we've got!"

"No," he said, not taking his eyes off Rina. "If we trap them now, they'll kill her."

"Then she dies," she answered, running out of their hiding place and giving the signal to the men to drop the tree.

"No!" Zevran roared at her back. He ran after her, seeing her beginning to conjure a fireball in her hand. He wouldn't be able to catch her in time, but raced anyway desperate to stop her.

He wasn't sure what happened, but would describe it as some sort of shock wave. It barely grazed him, but left him feeling drained. He saw both Rina and Selene collapse, being directly in it's path. As he reached Selene he looked to Rina and saw that she was unconscious. Selene however was awake, though she looked injured, or deeply ill.

"You tried to kill her," he stated without emotion.

"I… tried to accomplish the mission," she had a hard time getting the words out, but he understood her. "She was simply in the way."

"And I told you she was not to be harmed," he scowled at her. "You know the consequences." He crouched down, pulling out his dagger. She screamed as best as she could, though not well. He stabbed her chest and angled his dagger up to pierce her heart, twisting it as he did. Then quickly pulled it out again, letting her fall back to the ground in the same move.

He heard the gasps at the same time, from both the warden's group as well as the mercs'. Several mercs began shouting and rushing into the clearing to fight, while the wardens tried to speak, and ended up pulling out their weapons to defend themselves. He shook his head as he looked at Rina, and wondered how the day had gone sideways, while realizing he was looking at the answer.


	5. Chapter 5

Rina opened her eyes, afraid of what she would see. She was in her apartment, but that only scared her more. It couldn't have been a dream, right? Maybe she was dreaming now. Things were confusing without adding all the emotion into it.

The horrible blond mage had been running towards her, making a fireball, and Zev had been right behind her. Was it stupid of her to wish he had been trying to save her? Yes, but it was true.

Music blared from in front of her, and she picked up her phone as if it was an alien object. Everything had been happening so fast, she hadn't even missed it. Her best friend Shanell was calling, so she hit talk.

"Hey girl, what's up?" she asked.

"Rina?" she heard back. "Where the hell are you?"

"Um, at home?" she responded, worried about having actually been gone all this time. Was she actually home now?

"Rina." Shanell's voice was full of disappointment. "You said you were coming out tonight with us, remember? You'll never get over him if you don't get out there!"

"Oh, right. Sorry, I… forgot," she finished lamely. She remembered this conversation. A few days after, Shanell had come over with the idea to help her make a plan, setting goals for herself, and Rina refused.

"Forgot?" Rina could hear the incredulity through the phone. She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. And her friend's voice became muffled… and lower… until she couldn't make anything out any longer.

"...you hear me? I swear, I thought she was waking."

"Wait, Dog. Don't just…ugh."

Rina opened her eyes, as her face was covered in slobber. There was an absolutely huge dog standing over her, and bathing her face with its tongue. She pushed the dog as she turned her head, trying to halt the impromptu bath. Using the sleeve of her shirt, she wiped at her face as she listened to the voices around her.

"Sorry about that… he's not exactly trained you see."

"Could be worse, could've bitten her nose off instead."

"Oh, you poor thing! Let me help you with that."

"Thank you," she finally replied, grateful to have the help. It felt like she was just rubbing the saliva around instead of removing it. She put her arm down and turned her face in the direction of the voice, keeping her eyes closed. In a moment, someone was holding her head steady and wiping her face with a cloth.

Rina wasn't sure what was going to happen at this point, but she knew who was around her. In fact, she knew most of them better than perhaps even they did. She opened her eyes once the person helping her was finished, and looked straight at Leliana.

"Thanks," she said, trying to remain calm. She glanced around at the six of them. Leliana and Alistair in front of her, a dwarf holding onto the dog's collar to her left (she assumed he must be the other warden), Morrigan several feet behind looking cross, and Oghren and Sten to her right, standing over someone.

She looked forward again to see Alistair's hand in front of her, and she shied back from it. No, she knew he wouldn't hurt her or anything, but she wasn't ready to move yet. He stayed there for a moment before looking at his hand to see if there was something on it, and finding nothing, wiping it on his armor anyway. He backed away from her, unsure of what to say or do.

There was an awkward pause as no one spoke, and Rina bit her lip, not trusting herself to speak- worried she may say something that would be hard to explain. The dwarf she didn't recognize came towards her, taking Alistair's place and crouched in front of her.

"What's your name, doll face?" he asked.

She felt her face make a questioning look before she could think what she was doing, so she rolled with it. "Catarina," she replied.

"Well, Catarina" he said, "what I'm curious to know is, were you with these mercenaries?"

She was horrible at coming up with things on the spur of the moment, so she opted for the truth. "Sort of," she answered hesitantly.

She heard Leliana giggle as Alistair demanded, "How can you 'sort of' be with a band of mercenaries trying to kill people?!"

"He's got a good point Cat," the dwarf warden told her with a smirk.

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"Why?" he asked back, obviously amused.

"Because I don't like referring to you as 'the dwarf' in my head," she answered. She was surprised when several of them laughed, though she had been serious.

"As long as you refer to me as the sexy dwarf, it's all right" Oghren added.

"Duran," he answered her. "Though several of my companions here think it is Warden."

"A pleasure Duran," she said. "My friends call me Rina," she added.

"Hmm… nope," he said. "I like Cat better."

"Okay…" she trailed it off so it sounded like she was teasing him. She had no real preference, it was her friends back home that stuck with Rina. She took a moment as several things ran through her mind. Based on the way Duran carried himself, and the lack of facial tattoos, she guessed he was Duran Aeducan. And since Oghren was here, that meant they had already been to Orzammar. She wondered briefly whom he had chosen to support as king. Then she wondered where they were heading next, and then wondered where Zevran would fit into… Zevran!

"Duran? Have you seen my friend Zev? The blond elf?" She asked quickly, as she started to try to stand up. She still felt pretty dizzy and it wasn't easy.

"This elf?" she turned to Oghren as he spoke and saw that he and Sten were in fact standing over Zev, who was tied up and looked unconscious, or dead. She hurried over as best she could, only tripping once, and knelt at his side.

"Oh, thank goodness" she said to herself quietly when she discovered he was still alive.

"And this is where I need an explanation Cat," Duran said. She turned back and saw that all of them were flanking her, standing beside Duran, following his lead. A few had hands on their weapons, as if expecting her to try to harm them, but they were all deadly serious now, not one of them smiling any longer.

She turned back to Zev and shook her head. "I can't," she said quietly, and by the lack of response, none of them heard her. She looked down at Zev again. What would he do, if she told them of his plan? Did he even want to join them, or had she ruined that? He was different than she remembered from the games, having a harder edge. Was the same true for all the companions? Would they kill him once she explained?

"I can't," she said again, more clearly. "It's not my story to tell, it's Zevran's." She hoped that she had at least bought some time for him to wake up.

"Cat…" Duran's voice told her to look at him, so she did. He held her gaze for some time, then nodded. "Okay, we'll camp here, and wait to hear his explanation." he said.

"What?!" "Warden…" Several companions spoke at once, but he stopped them all with a look, that belied his royal heritage. They all began unpacking tents, and leaving the path to clear a place to have a fire. She watched in awe, as no one needed to speak, they all just did what needed to be done.

Rina wondered if they had daily assignments, or if they simply just did whatever chore they wanted. She guessed the former, as if everyone did what they wanted, they might all pick the same chore one day. The mental picture of all six of them coming back to camp with firewood and no other tasks done made her giggle. She stopped abruptly as she saw several of them giving her questioning looks, some bordering on suspicion. She hoped Zev would wake up soon.

The wait was longer than she hoped, but since Leliana was talking to her, she didn't really notice. She knew better than to say much, since Leliana was a bard and all, but she found her defenses coming down the longer they spoke. She knew she was being manipulated, but it was so __nice__ talking to another female about inconsequential things. Since she and Zev hadn't come up with any sort of story, she simply stayed silent whenever questions about him, or her, or their travels, or homelands came up.

Finally, she heard Zevran groaning, and instead of coming closer, she actually stepped aside so that Duran and his companions could speak with him. She got a few looks for it, but she wasn't ready for his anger at having her disrupt his plan. She smiled as she thought of his line, "I thought I'd wake up dead" but was shocked when she heard something quite different.

"Catarina? What have you done to her? I'll kill you!" he yelled as he struggled against his bonds. She peeked her head around Sten, surprised to hear her name.

"We've not harmed her friend," Duran began. "She asked us to wait for any questions until you woke, and we've honored that request." he finished, his words soft but strong.

Zevran had been listening, but he searched around and continued to struggle until he saw her face peering at him from around a huge warrior. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to calm himself. He still didn't understand why, since everything today had gone belly up, but she was safe, so he felt everything was good. It made no sense, but he didn't want to dwell on it now. He reopened his eyes and looked at the group before him, zeroing in on the noble dwarf in front of him.

"You are the warden, no?" he asked.

"I am one of the wardens, yes," Duran answered. "And you are?" he asked in return.

"Zevran Arainai, a Crow. You, my friend, are mighty hard to kill. Though, to be fair, my ambush didn't go off quite like I had planned," he smirked at the group, wondering why he felt to give away so much information, but felt the better for it anyway.

"A Crow? Cat?" Duran asked her, looking confused.

"I can answer that," Leliana interrupted before she could answer. "Crows are a guild of assassins from the land of Antiva. They have quite the reputation for both success, and privacy for those employing them, even withstanding torture without divulging information." They all turned back to look at Zevran.

"Well then, I suppose questioning may be pointless," Alistair commented.

"The woman looks like she will not withstand torture," Sten said stoically.

"Sten!" Leliana gasped in shock, as Rina backed away from him.

"Cat." Duran called her over as he sat in front of Zevran, patting the ground next to him as an invitation for her to sit.

"Cat?" Zevran asked as she did so.

"He liked it better than Rina, apparently," she answered and he nodded as if that explanation made total sense.

"I prefer to call her Little Dove, myself" Zevran said, and Duran looked thoughtful, before nodding in agreement.

"Also better, but I'll stick with Cat," he replied. "But, back to business. Cat told us that she was __sort of"__ he used finger quotes, "with the mercenaries that attacked us. And based on what you've said, you were leading them." He looked at Zevran pointedly. "I'd like an explanation now."

Cat listened, smiling to herself as she thought of her new nickname. Even she liked it better. It seemed like Zevran's explanation was very similar to his in game dialogue, though she was surprised that it was Duran's idea that he come with them in order to protect him from the retribution of the Crows. In fact, the more she saw Zev and Duran banter back and forth, the more amused she became, until she was giggling. The two of them stopped their talk to look at her. In fact, everyone was looking at her.

"What's funny, Little Dove?" Zev asked.

"I'm sorry," she started, trying to contain her laughter. "It's just that I always heard that dwarves and elves hated each other, but with you two…" she burst into giggles again. They all continued to stare at her, until Leliana started giggling too. Then Alistair began chuckling, and Oghren laughed out loud. Duran and Zevran joined in as well, while Morrigan and Sten looked at them like they were fools.

"Come on," Duran said as he cut Zev's bonds with his dagger. "Let's have some dinner and we'll talk some more."

Zevran stood, rubbing his wrists. "Warden," he said suddenly serious. Duran nodded at him to continue. "I would give you my allegiance, however before you accept it, I would let you know that I have sworn to see the Little Dove to safety from the blight. Perhaps that is by traveling with your group, or we can see her to somewhere safe on our travels, but" he said stubbornly, "we are a pair. Where I go, so does she until that promise is fulfilled."

"Cat?" Duran asked, and she could only nod, as she tried to keep the tears from falling. This came out of nowhere, but Zev was ensuring that she was kept safe. She had never had anyone do something like this for her before, putting her needs before their own.

Duran nodded as well. "Then welcome aboard, let's eat!"

Cat could hear a few of them argue with him as they walked over to the campfire, and caught the end of Morrigan's comment, and Zevran's cheeky response. She glanced down at the huge dog who had remained with her, giving his head a scratch.

"Happy to be here," she said softly, surprised when she realized it was the absolute truth. She laughed as the dog barked at her, and started following the group. "I'm hungry too boy, let's go!"


	6. Chapter 6

Cat smiled as she sat near the fire. This was probably even better than the best case scenario she had played in her head, with Zev being accepted by the Warden. _Duran,_ she corrected herself. He really didn't like being referred to as Warden, though that didn't stop the others.

While eating dinner, Duran had introduced the rest of the party to them, and similarly introduced the two newcomers to everyone else. She did her best to keep a straight face, but it was so odd and yet thrilling to meet these people whom she knew so well. The fact that they were real people- the other option being that she was totally insane- was amazing to her.

She knew however, that while she felt a closeness and friendship with them, they had no such feelings for her. As far as everyone else was concerned, they had all just met and therefore knew next to nothing about each other. She would have to build the relationships like anyone else, building trust. If only they were all as easy as Dog- yes, Duran had __cleverly__ named the dog, the apt name of Dog.

"That should work, sorry it's not very big," Alistair said as he came back to the fire. "It was lucky we had some extra canvas so that we could give you a tent."

"It is appreciated," Zevran replied as Cat walked over to view the new structure.

"You're right though, it is small," she said, thinking logistically. "We'd practically be on top of each other."

She turned back as she heard the muffled laughter, and saw that Alistair had gone bright red.

"Is that all it takes?" Zev mused aloud. "If so, I would have conveniently forgotten your tent at the start of our journey." He laughed louder as he took in her confused expression.

"You don't have to share with him toots," Oghren offered. "There's plenty of room in ours, right between the Warden and me."

The light finally dawned as Cat realized that she wasn't meant to share with Zev, and she blushed. "Sorry, I just assumed…" she trailed off as they laughed even louder.

Leliana came to her rescue, and taking her arm lead her to the women's tent. "Don't mind them," she soothed. "They are just having a little fun, no?" She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Unless you were wanting to share?" Which made Cat blush again, and shake her head and Leliana giggled as she showed Cat to their tent.

The next day began much as the last had ended, with the party around the campfire, enjoying a meal. Cat ate quickly, and started breaking down the camp as Zev had shown her previously. She desperately wanted to be helpful, knowing that she was currently the weakest link, but she was confident in her ability to adapt.

"You don't need to do that my lady," she heard behind her and turned around, looking left and right and finally looking behind her. "Um, I was actually speaking to you, Lady Catarina," Alistair commented looking embarrassed.

"Warden Alistair, I'm not even close to being a lady, and please call me Cat." she replied.

"Alright, but then you must call me Alistair," he returned with a small smile. "We're actually not big on titles and such, but I didn't want to offend in any way."

"No offense taken," she said continuing to fold up the canvas.

"Here, I'll take care of that," he said, coming forward and taking the canvas from her.

Cat frowned. She was obviously doing something wrong, but she wasn't quite sure what the right way to fold canvas was. She turned, looking for something else to assist with, and saw that the fire pit had not yet been put out. She headed over, and using a small spade that sat nearby, started shoveling dirt onto the embers.

"Oh, don't worry about that, I've got it handled," Alistair said coming up to her again. He held out his hand, and she gave up the spade.

'Zero for two," she thought. There had to be something she could do to help. She looked around again, but was stopped as Zevran walked up to her.

"Little dove, there you are," he said. "The Warden has given us time to go back to our old campsite and collect our packs before we all head out."

"Oh," she replied. "I completely forgot about them!"

"Well, we did have a few packs of supplies between us and the mercenaries, which I said would help us to not be a burden on our new companions," he explained to her. "So come, let us hurry before we are left behind, yes?"

She followed as he stepped out into the woods, immensely glad that the trip was not dependant on her knowing the way. She had followed the merc's trail yesterday, not paying attention, and then had simply run off so she had no idea where their last camp was located.

After a few minutes, Zevran took her arm in his and spoke, "So, little dove, I noticed that you seemed very at ease with our new situation."

"Um, yes? That wasn't exactly a question you know." she replied, matching his pace.

"No, more an observation," he replied. "It just seems odd to be so at ease with people you have never met before."

"True, I suppose it would seem odd." she commented, thinking how best to explain. It seemed he simply wouldn't believe her when she flat out told him the truth, but what else could she say?

He looked over at her, expecting to receive some sort of explanation, but saw that she was lost in thought. Before he could question her further, they stepped into the campsite. They worked together to quickly repack any helpful belongings in the merc's packs and shouldered them with their own packs and started heading back.

"So" she asked, "what do we do if they have left us?"

"They have not," he replied.

"You sound sure of yourself," she observed.

"Yes" he answered. Glancing at her, he decided to try a different tactic. "So, the Warden said something last night about using treaties to gain allies," she hmm'd in response so he continued. "I wonder where we still have to travel?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, still somewhat in her own thoughts. "But I'm glad they have already been to Orzammar. I don't fancy going to the deep roads."

She glanced over at him, as he was uncharacteristically silent, only to see him giving her a look that translated into "duh". "What is that look for?" she asked him.

"I'm sure you noticed," he drawled, "that there are two dwarves in the group? Of course they've been to Orzammar."

"Oh, right." she said, grateful that there was such an easy explanation for her comment. She really needed to start paying better attention to what she was saying!

Once they returned to the group, they looked ready to leave, however Duran was missing. After a few moments he came into the clearing, and they headed out. Duran led them onward, and Cat found herself somewhere in the middle of the pack. Throughout the day, they switched places and Cat was able to speak to everyone at some point, though a few of them chose not to speak back.

She also found herself supremely grateful for traveling with Zev before joining with the wardens. She was able to keep up with the group, and not be a burden, except to Alistair. He continuously stopped her from trying to be helpful, and she made it her new goal to learn their ways of setting and breaking down camp so that they would let her help.

After a few days of travel, she determined that Zev and Duran were destined to be friends. It seemed that took to each other in no time, and soon were able to communicate through simple signals and gestures which often left everyone else in the dark.

Cat found herself observing more than anything else, because she truly enjoyed all the talk around her. Duran and Zev's competing, Oghren and Morrigan tormenting Alistair, Even Leliana and Sten's cyclical conversations that never seemed to go anywhere, she enjoyed them all. Every now and then, Zev would pull her into something, but more often than not, she was able to simply revel in being around others without any expectations.

Zev put his hand out, stopping her forward progress. She looked at him in question, and he put his finger to his lips in a sign for quiet. She held still, looking around and listening as hard as she could. Zev took off silently, melting into the shadows of the nearby trees, while Alistair, Sten and Oghren help their weapons out at the ready, their backs to the ranged fighters and Cat.

She heard roars and yells as several men came running at them from the trees, and their warriors responded in kind. Her protection fell away, as they pushed forward to meet those that attacked them. She unsheathed her daggers, though she knew she was not able to use them with much success, but knew that it was better than nothing.

Cat continued to look around, watching for those that may get past Zevran. She caught movement to her left, and without thinking, tackled a man to the ground who was about to back stab Duran. She was straddled on top of him, grappling for the dagger he held trying to avoid being sliced apart when Duran brought a dagger down across his throat. Cat fell over panting heavily, watching as Duran took off.

"Stay down!" he ordered to her before he was out of her sight. She couldn't simply lay there however, so she started crawling over to where Leliana and Morrigan were standing. As she moved, she came across a crossbow and recognized it as Duran's. He must have dropped it in order to use his daggers. She looked up as she heard a scream, and saw Leliana using her bow to fend off and attacker, Morrigan bent over, looking like she was going to be sick. Without consideration, Cat loaded the crossbow, and lifting it up, took aim and fired.

Leliana was startled as suddenly a bolt appeared from the man's eye, and he crumpled to the ground. She turned around in surprise and alarm, to find Cat holding the Warden's crossbow, looking deathly white. She continued to hold it up, though it was empty and Leliana wondered if she had been frozen by the mercenaries' mage until she saw it start to shake.

Cat wasn't sure what was happening, but Leliana was helping her to sit, so she hoped that meant the fighting was over. She looked over as Leliana put the crossbow down, and felt odd as she remembered she had just killed someone. She was upset, though it was because she wasn't upset about killing that man. Shouldn't she be freaking out? But she wasn't, and that was the most upsetting part of all.

She watched as the others looted the bodies, and piled them to be burned. Zev walked over, doing a quick examination, and determined her capable of continuing on. They started walking away, while Morrigan turned and threw a fireball at the pile of corpses.

After a few minutes Cat asked, "Is this something that happens often?" It seemed to break the silence, as the others smiled, or smirked.

"It happens more than I would like," Leliana responded with a wink. "But that is to be expected when there is such a large bounty on the Warden's heads."

"Sure, blame the wardens," Alistair quipped. "All we did was survive after all."

"Cat." Duran's voice was oddly serious amid the playful toned of the others.

"Yes Duran?" she asked.

"You know how to shoot, yet you are carrying around daggers-"

"Ah" Zevran interrupted. "That is my fault Warden. I gave Little Dove the daggers until we could acquire a crossbow." He pulled a face at Cat , "For she cannot use a short or long bow either." Duran looked at her incredulously, and she felt the need to defend herself.

"Well, yes, but back home I didn't need weapons, so I haven't built up the strength to hold the bow back while aiming," she said. This comment had everyone eyeing her.

"So you are some kind of noble lady then," Leliana remarked.

"What? No, I'm not." she replied.

"But, then how are you not needing weapons?" Morrigan asked. "Even farmers or city folk need a weapon, if not for protection, then for hunting."

"Women have no need for weapons or fighting under the Qun," Sten commented, which had everyone turn to look at him, and then back to Cat speculatively.

"No," she said. "I'm not part of the Qunari." She could have sworn Sten looked a little disappointed, but she was probably just seeing things. "Though, my land has something a little similar. We have soldiers who protect our land, who do the fighting for us," she said. "And as for hunting, that's how I learned to shoot a crossbow."

Her answers seemed to appease some, but she saw both Morrigan and Leliana ready to ask more questions when Duran spoke up again.

"Then, we'll have to find you a crossbow then," he said. "I'm not too keen on sharing."

"Yes," she teased. "I've noticed you and your crossbow have a __special__ bond."

"That's putting it mildly," Oghren muttered.

"I can always stop my cover fire if there is a problem," Duran quipped back, and had Oghren commenting about "not being hasty".

"So," Zevran began as he matched pace with Duran. "How much further until we reach our destination?"

Duran paused in thought, "I'd guess another half a day at most before we reach Lake Calanhad."

"Lake Calanhad?" Cat squeaked, having Zevran eye her carefully.

"Yes," Alistair broke in. "We're going to petition the mages in the circle for help."

"Oh?" Zev asked, still unsure of what had been said to upset her so.

"The Arl of Redcliff's son is possessed by a demon," Duran stated frowning. "We need his assistance, and we are not willing to sacrifice a child to meet our own needs."

"I still say this is necessary." Morrigan stated, while Sten nodded along. "The child invited the demon in, and besides that, the mother was willing to sacrifice herself. We could have been finished with this and moving on to the next ally by this time."

It seemed like this was an old argument, and both warden's faces became hard and unyielding. "This is not up for debate Morrigan," Duran stated, his comment signaling the end of conversation.

"Well then," Zevran stated with a smirk. "On to the mages." He watched Cat throughout the conversation, knowing that something was wrong, and determined to discover the source.


	7. Chapter 7

Cat looked around, heart pounding, as she took in the view from the row boat. It was really creepy, from the fog over the water, to the unnatural silence of her companions. Somehow, she was on her way to the circle tower. She had tried to stay behind with Morrigan, who refused to have any contact with the circle mages. She had tried to stay with Leliana, who would play her lute in the inn and make money while also gathering information, and when that failed, she finally tried to stay with Sten - who had flat out refused.

She couldn't come up with a good reason to stay behind, but even if she had, Zevran would have stayed as well. She couldn't keep a fighter from the group when she knew what they would face in the tower. Just that small act could result in horrendous consequences. And so, here she was.

Cat had contemplated just telling them what was actually happening so that Duran would keep his entire group with him, but when she thought of how that conversation might go, it always ended with her being given to the templars or killed outright. Neither option really suited her.

And so, she kept quiet. Once they got to the tower Duran would have Wynne to join his party so she figured they would be all right. So, she shouldn't be scared, and yet she was. There was a deep fear coursing through her, that she didn't really understand. What exactly was she afraid of?

As if he could read her mind, Zevran leaned close and said quietly, "Do not worry my little dove, I will not let the mages harm you."

It was meant to be reassuring, however she simply gave him a confused look. The mages? They were all trapped inside the tower, fighting for their lives…

"Or the templars," he added. Fear swiftly replaced confusion in her eyes before she could look away. 'So that is the issue,' he thought

"Thank you" she said quietly. "I'm sure everything will be fine." Her hands belied her words as he took notice of how she clenched and straightened her fingers around each other. She was a bundle of nerves, and even though he did not understand her fear, he would keep his oath and ensure nothing harmed her.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally made it to the circle tower and were escorted inside. The party stopped and stared at the organized chaos that they found, templars rushing to and fro within the large chamber. Duran took the lead, quickly walking up to the stoic man that stood still in the center of the madness.

Cat listened as they were informed of the state of the tower and its mages. It sounded just as she expected, and that took a small part of her fear away. With the changes that she had experienced thus far, she worried about what else her presence may have brought about.

She snapped back to focus as she was steered with their group slightly away from the templars.

"So, what do you think Alistair?" Duran asked quietly.

"It's difficult to say," Alistair replied. "I'm sure we could handle the demons well enough, but who knows what else we could face? Blood mages, and abominations… could be trickier, but on the other hand if we don't help them we are sealing Conner's fate."

"I thought much the same. Oghren?"

"Bah, a fight's a fight. Just point me in the right direction." he stated while looking around.

"Zevran?" he asked.

"I am fine whatever you may decide, however I cannot leave Cat here."

They all looked at Zevran in surprise, then three of them looked at Cat.

"Why not?" Alistair asked. "She'll be safer here than anywhere else for the time being," he stated.

Zevran opened his mouth to respond, but Cat quickly interrupted. "I'll be fine here," she said in a rush. "Alistair's right, I'll be perfectly safe, though I wish I was a stronger fighter, so that I could help you." she added, looking at the wardens.

All four males smiled back at her. "You'll be strong soon enough toots," Oghren said. "Enjoy sitting out while you can," and with that, he pulled out his great axe and started walking for the door, with the rest of them following behind.

"You don't have to be brave," Zevran said quietly. "I can stay here with you, they will be fine without-"

"NO" she interrupted him, quietly yet with force. He simply raised an eyebrow, though she didn't notice as she was looking at her feet while they approached the door. She looked at each of her companions in turn, noticing Oghren preparing for a fight, Alistair and Duran speaking with the templar commander - though she couldn't remember his name to save her life- and finally she turned her eyes to Zevran and found his eyes meeting hers.

She knew he needed to go, and yet a part of her wanted him to stay. He had helped keep her alive thus far, and she was afraid of being alone now. All these thoughts ran through her head as they continued to gaze at each other, waiting for the other to speak.

Cat noticed that the doors were being opened, and the others were walking towards them. Then Zevran turned to join them, and without thinking she grabbed his arm turning him back towards her and threw her arms around his neck and squeezed.

Zevran's eyes grew wide in surprise, not expecting this reaction from her. His features softened into a smile as he put his own arms around her, realizing that she was worried she may never see him again.

" _ _Please__ be careful!" she spoke softly into his collar. "Don't act reckless and just charge in. Follow Duran's lead, and help watch the others' backs as well." She began speaking faster, he words jumbling together, and his smile changed to a smirk as he noticed his companions' stares. "Watch out for blood mages, and be sure to take Wynne along, and keep back from abominations they tend to blow up when they are destroyed and-"

"I get the idea my dove," he interrupted her and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Do not fret for us. We will keep each other healthy and whole and return to you post haste." His hand cupped her cheek and he looked into her eyes, "besides, I want to finish this…" he said lowly and she shivered.

"Ugh, Zev!" she pushed back from him, but she was smiling. "Just go already!"

He gave her a last smirk, and turned to join his companions. He had enjoyed the hug, the feeling of closeness, though oddly not in a romantic way. But he had needed to see her smile, and to rid her eyes of fear before leaving. Flirting with her seemed to always end with that result, so he considered the toughest part of this mission a success.

Cat watched them head through the doors, none of them looking back as the doors shut behind them. Now, all she could do was wait. Wait and worry.

* * *

"Hold on a moment please," Zevran interrupted the Warden as he spoke with the elderly mage. "What did you say your name was?"

"Wynne. Why do you ask? Have we met before?" She asked him in return, looking him up and down, trying to see if he was familiar.

"No, I do not believe so," he answered. "Have you ever met a young women by the name of Catarina Lewis?" he questioned.

"Hmm, no, that name does not sound familiar" she responded with a frown.

"Interesting," he said. "Continue please, I am sorry for the interruption." Duran and Wynne both gave him questioning glances before resuming their conversation. In a few moments, Duran joined him where he stood with Alistair and Oghren.

"It seems she won't take no for an answer," Duran told them. "If we want to get through her barrier, we have to take her along."

"Surely it couldn't hurt to have a mage along," Alistair commented. "True we don't know her, but she obviously wants to help get the tower back under control."

"True…" Duran turned to Zevran. "Mind letting me know what all that was about?" he asked.

Zevran contemplated, then decided to go ahead and share. After all, he had pledged himself to the Warden as well, had he not? "Our lovely dove had been giving me some last minute instructions before we left," he said. When they only stared at him he added, "you know, don't get killed, watch out for blood mages and abominations. That sort of thing."

"And?" Duran questioned, glancing back at the mages huddled across the hall.

"And in the middle of all this, she said something that I didn't understand until now." He paused for effect since he had a rapt audience. "She said, to be sure to take __Wynne__ with us" he stated emphasizing her name quietly. "I thought perhaps I had not heard the lady mage correctly, so I needed to verify her name."

The looks on the others' faces are how his own must have been when Cat first told him something she should not have known. Confusion and mistrust with a bit of awe he could see well on their faces. He chuckled as Oghren still looked confused, Alistair concerned and Duran in awe.

"I had the same reaction the first time it happened to me as well my friends," he stated. "But I will let her tell you the tale behind the mystery. For now, I suggest we follow the advice, and let the lady join us."

"You want her to join us simply because Cat told you to?" Alistair asked suspiciously. "Doesn't that seem, I don't know, crazy?" he asked Duran

Zevran laughed loudly this time. "You are reading this wrong Alistair" he said trying to make the younger man understand. "She was simply giving advice, and I think it is sound."

Alistair narrowed his eyes at Zevran. "That looked like more than advice from where I was standing…" he trailed off crossly, causing Zevran to chuckle again.

"Again, you read it wrong!" he stated, feeling that he had better clear this up for Cat. He knew she had not meant it to seem as if they were together, even though others would assume it was so. "That is merely tradition in her land, to give good luck before battle."

"Oh…" Alistair replied softly looking chagrined.

"Well then," Duran stated. "Let us get going." He turned to speak to the mages, and the others followed him. Zevran caught the soft comment Alistair gave to Oghren, which made him smirk.

"But, then why didn't __we__ get good luck battle hugs?"


	8. Chapter 8

Cat had been pacing for what seemed like hours now. At first, she had been content to wait, and had simply found a spot against a wall to sit. She had even tried to take a nap, but that had been impossible for she was too wound up. She had tried to remember all the things that awaited her friends in the circle tower, but gave that up early on, as it only made her anxiety worse.

After a time, she had gone over to the man she knew to be the quartermaster, and had perused his wares. She had even found a small crossbow, which he had dubbed a "trainer" but felt confident that its small size would be perfect for her. She had him keep it aside for her, promising payment once her party returned.

After that, she had begun her pacing. Back and forth, back and forth. It kept her moving, though it did nothing to distract her thoughts. She heard something in the room around her, and stopped pacing to focus once she heard the muffled laughter. It did not sound pleasant, more like these men were laughing __at her.__

"Pardon me?" she said in a polite tone. "I didn't catch what was said."

A templar stepped forward, a cross between a sneer and a smirk written on his face.

"I said, your rabbit is already dead, but you shouldn't worry. There are plenty of __men__ here that can console you," he said with a glint in his eye and his hand outstretched.

Cat recoiled in disgust. "Not likely," she said speaking in her most superior voice to dissuade him. "And he's an elf not a rabbit, and he's a friend, not whatever you're thinking." She turned away from him in a huff, while he and his friends cackled behind her.

"Sure, my lady, I could tell you was very __friendly__ with your "elf" earlier." She could practically see the finger quotes in her mind when he said elf.

Time moved forward, and everywhere Cat turned, this type of racist and crude talk followed her. While she didn't know how long she had been suffering through it, she knew she was at the end of her rope. She made her way back to the quartermaster, and asked about the crossbow again.

"I've saved it for you, my lady, but your friends aren't back with payment as yet," he responded, looking confused.

"I know," she sighed. "I'm going in after them."

"What? But my lady, it's not safe-"

"Which is exactly why I need this weapon," she said quickly before he could continue. "I am certain that they are fine, but I simply cannot wait any longer." She said it with finality, hoping that he would not continue to argue with her.

"Perhaps, something as collateral?" he asked tentatively.

"Ah, yes" she patted her pockets, thinking that she had nothing, before remembering her necklace. It was a gift she bought for herself before her divorce, when Steve had forgotten her birthday. She kept it on as a reminder that even when others disappoint, she could always rely on herself. "Will this do?" she asked unclasping the necklace and re-clasping it before handing it to him.

"I- I can't take this my lady, it is too fine" he stammered, looking at the jewelry with wide eyes.

Cat smiled, "I will come to reclaim it, so you need only hold onto it for me," she said. "But for now, a weapon is needed more than jewelry."

"Of course, my lady," He set her necklace gently down inside a box, and then began handing her items. First a quiver, which she slung over her head to hang across her body, then bolts to fill it, and finally the crossbow.

Once geared up, Cat smiled at him, and thanked him for his help. She marched over to the Knight Commander.

"Commander… Greagoir!" she said as she suddenly remembered his name.

"Yes?" He turned to look at her.

"I need to go through the gate sir, I need to help my friends." she said, almost pleadingly.

"I cannot in good conscience let you do that my lady," he replied. "It is far too dangerous."

"I can understand your reservations Ser," she took a deep breath. "But if anything happens to them, I will never be able to forgive myself for staying here, safe, while they are risking their lives. I've given them enough of a head start, and now I will be following after them." She was done with waiting, and she was going to go, no matter what these templars said and she let him know it, albeit in a really polite way.

She wouldn't call it a smile, but she did see the corners of his mouth slightly turn up. "I can understand how you feel," he stated softly. "I too, would choose to be with friends facing horrors than staying safely behind." His gaze turned firm again, as did his voice. "However, it will be the same as for your companions, I will not open the door again unless the First Enchanter were to tell me that it is safe to do so."

Cat nodded as he said this, "I understand Ser, and I thank you!" She directly around and headed toward the huge doors, smiling as she heard him call, "Let her through" and slipping inside once the doors were open enough for her to fit.

Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the slightly dimmer room, and she continued forward noticing the shimmering barrier erected across the doorway in the left corner of the room. She heard several gasps from her right, and turned toward the sound, seeing several women and younger children gaping at her.

"They let you in..?" one of them asked, though she wasn't certain if it was directed at her, or simply just spoken aloud.

"I'm looking for my friends" she said in response. "A man, two dwarves and an elf that came through her a few hours ago?"

"Yes," a woman answered stepping forward. Cat recognized her as the mage that tried to stop Wynne from going, than tried to join her. "They came through, and Wynne escorted them through to the tower."

"And then put the barrier back in place?" Cat asked, although it was obvious.

"Yes," she answered ruefully. "I'm sure to keep us here and safe, so that we couldn't join them later."

"Sounds familiar," Cat responded with a smile. "I just got through my own" she said, gesturing with her thumb at the massive doors behind her. She then nodded, and introduced herself. "I'm Cat," she said.

"Petra" the mage responded. "A pleasure."

"Likewise," Cat stated. "Now, any idea on how I can get through this?" nodding toward the barrier.

"Unfortunately, no." Petra said. "It will only dissipate once Wynne releases the spell, or if something were to happen to her, or her mana- "

They both turned at the interruption as the shimmering barrier dissolved into sparkles that faded from existence. Cat couldn't help but think of how pretty it was, before realizing both that her way was clear, and what that could mean for her friends.

"That's probably not a good sign," Petra said quietly.

"No, but at least the way is clear. I'm going to go help my friends." She turned to Petra. "I'm not going to force you to stay, but with the barrier gone, they may need your protection," she said nodding to the other mages.

"That's true." She looked around in thought before releasing a sigh. "I should stay and protect them, though I do want to go with you." she said to Cat. "Before you go however, we can give you a few potions that we scavenged on our way here. We thought we may need them but I fear your friends may need them more."

"That's very generous of you," Cat remarked, turning so that Petra could help put the pack with potions on her back.

"If it will help Wynne in any way, then it will be worth it," she responded. "Maker guide you Cat."

"Thank you again Petra," and with that, Cat walked onward through the doorway into the tower.

* * *

Cat was secretly glad that Duran was such a completionist, though he probably didn't even think about. He was one that never left an enemy alive, or a room unsearched. She stayed on guard with her crossbow loaded, but the worst she was finding was corpses and blood. Not that she wasn't immune to such things, but found it better than the alternative of living people or demons to fight.

She continued through the tower in a straight path, not stopping to search as her friends had done. She was surprised that the layout was almost exactly as she remembered it, though the rooms and staircases were all bigger than the game had shown, and much more furnished, though that was expected with all the mages and templars living here. They could hardly function without places to sit.

She stopped momentarily as she reached another staircase, peering to her right, and noticing the office belonging to the First Enchanter. Stepping inside the office, she marveled at his personal library, though she was disheartened to find that she couldn't read the writing on the spines. That did not bode well for her future, but she put it from her mind.

Just for fun, she moved to the chest in the left corner of the room, noticing that it was closed, but unlocked. She lifted the lid and peered inside, wondering if they had left anything in it to cover the theft of the grimoire. She frowned as she noticed the black book was the only item in the chest.

Cat thought for a moment, then reached down and picked up the book. She leafed through it, noting some small illustrations in the margins here and there. Though she couldn't read it, she felt sure that this was the grimoire that Morrigan wanted. Perhaps she hadn't said anything to Duran about it, or she had… and he had purposefully left it? She wasn't sure what to think, but decided to take the book along.

She took the time to ensure it was protectively wrapped in parchment that she found in the desk, and nestled it in the pack Petra had given her. Then picking up her crossbow, she continued out of the office and up the stairs.

The third floor was much of the same, and Cat continued at a hurried but watchful pace. It seemed as though her companions had been pretty thorough, and while she was eager to meet up with them, she also felt something akin to Indiana Jones, searching for lost treasure.

She reached the top of the stairs on the fourth floor, continuing on. Right then is when she mentally hit herself for not going through the quest beforehand. True, she hadn't wanted to think about all the things her friends would be facing, but now she was walking blindly as she couldn't remember what was upcoming.

She stopped in the open archway, peering inside the central room and gasping as she saw her companions dead on the floor. She ran over to the nearest, Oghren, and checked for a pulse. Finding one, she let out a huge sigh of relief before turning to Alistair and checking his. They were alive!

But, why would they…

It hit her at the same time, figuratively as she recalled the sloth demon, and literally as she looked up to see the sloth demon reaching out to her before everything went black.


	9. Chapter 9

Cat slowly woke up, hearing some exciting voices in the other room. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, opening them to find she was sleeping on the couch.

"Merry Christmas!" Her mom called as she sailed by into the kitchen.

"Right, Christmas…" Cat couldn't help but feel somewhat out of place, but shrugged it off. She had the craziest dream after all, so vivid and adventurous.

"Better hurry up sleepyhead!" she heard her mom call again. "Steven said he was coming early, right?" Cat jumped up from the couch at that, she'd better get herself looking presentable! She cleaned up her impromptu bedding and headed for the bathroom.

She quickly made herself ready for the day, though she continued to have a nagging feeling that something was not right. She should be ecstatic! This was the day Steven had proposed to her after all, and… she stopped as she realized what had just gone through her head. HAD proposed, now why had she thought that? She meant WILL propose, right?

She went into the kitchen, still feeling odd and uncertain. As she helped her mom prepare breakfast, she could swear she felt eyes on her, and even looked around a few times to ensure there were not.

"You okay honey?" her mom asked.

"I think so, just feeling a little off I guess." Cat replied.

"Well, the obvious cure is to open some presents!" Her mom exclaimed, and pulled her into the living room.

Cat smiled as she saw her dad, digging into his stocking for the chocolate orange that was there every year. He claimed it was his first breakfast each year, and it always brought a smile to her face.

"Hey sweetie," her mom said to her dad. "Find Rina a present to open, will you?" She left to go check the food, and Cat found herself feeling odd again.

"Rina?" she questioned.

"That's your name, isn't it?" her dad chuckled at her. "Or has that changed since last night?"

"Right. I mean, no, it hasn't changed. Sorry," she said as she went over to sit by him. "Just a strange dream, where everyone was calling me Cat" she said.

"Ha ha!" Her dad laughed. "Well in that case, I'll call you Kitty cat."

"Ugh, no thanks" she said with a smile. He was always teasing her. She leaned into him and cuddled. It had felt like forever since she had a good cuddle!

The doorbell rang, and her dad gave her a nudge. "I think you'd better get it" he said with a wink.

The smile she had, fell as she opened the door to reveal Steven.

"Hey babe, I've missed you!" He said, as he pulled her into a hug and kiss. She smiled uncertainly up at him as he shrugged out of his jacket and put his arm around her, holding her close. "You okay?" he asked.

"Um, yeah" she answered, though she was far from it. She felt as if maybe she was going crazy. Every part of her screamed to get away from him, but she couldn't figure out why. This was the guy she was madly in love with, right? The feeling wouldn't go away however, and the more she examined it, the more she realized it wasn't fear, it was disgust mixed with sadness. But why?

They walked into the kitchen, to find her mom and dad, but also her brother and sister and their spouses. She watched as Steven made his way around, giving hugs and kissing cheeks. It gave her the oddest feeling, as if now she was dreaming. Steven hated hugging, or affection of any kind, in fact, she hadn't found that out until after the wedding…

Cat stopped again. Something was wrong, and she could no longer ignore it. She returned to the living room, hoping that the quiet would help her think. What was the last thing she remembered, before waking up this morning?

"I traded my necklace for a crossbow," she murmured to herself. "The circle tower? But that was a dream?"

"Glad I didn't have to intervene on this one."

Cat whirled around, and saw a very short man in what looked like armor standing in front of her fireplace gazing at the Christmas tree.

"Duran?" she asked, flabbergasted. "It wasn't a dream? You and Zev and Alistair and everyone?"

"Nope," he said smiling at her, though it quickly turned upside down. "Mind telling me how the sloth demon got a hold of you, when you are back with the templars?"

"Uh, no not really," she stammered back.

"Rina? Love?" Steven came into the room, startled to find her not alone. "Who's this?" he asked.

"Like you don't know," she said, her eyes narrowed and angry as she realized what this meant for her "family".

"Great news, I asked your dad, and he gave us his blessings," he continued as if she hadn't said anything. "We're getting married!" he exclaimed pulling her into a hug that felt suffocating.

She squirmed until she had some leverage, and pushed him away. "No means no!" She heard a chuckle and turned to smile at Duran. She turned back just in time to avoid another death grip hug from demon Steven. "I wish you, those mercenaries, and the freaking templars would understand! I'm not interested!" She punctuated her final word with another shove, pushing demon Steven further away.

"Wait, what?!" Duran yelled as he rushed forwards to take care of the man turned demon.

"What?" Cat asked confused. "There may be more in the kitchen!" she called as she searched for a weapon, finding her crossbow under the tree. "Merry Christmas to me!" she said, before giving herself a face palm. "That was awful" she muttered. "Good thing no one heard it."

"Heard what?" Duran asked as he came back from the other room.

"Nothing!" she said quickly, as she felt herself being moved and everything around her disappeared.

* * *

It seemed to happen quickly, but it was still disconcerting to disappear from one area, and reappear in another. She saw Oghren, Alistair, Zevran and Wynne in front of her, though they were focused on Duran standing in front of them.

"You made it back, is everything all right?" Wynne asked.

"Yes," he answered. "It appears I had merely forgotten someone," he drawled nodding towards Cat. They all looked behind them, and she received four shocked stares and one smirk as she gave a little wave with her fingers.

"Hi guys," Cat said, then winced as the yelling started. Alistair sounded appalled, Zevran was concerned and then furious, Oghren was happily greeting her like long lost cousins, and Wynne looked confused.

It didn't last long, as the sloth demon's voice overpowered theirs, and they all went silent.

Duran didn't even converse with it, he simply gave out instructions "Cat, stay back with Wynne, the rest of you, let's kill this thing." Then with a shout, he raised his arms and transformed into his Golem form.

Cat ran back with Wynne, though she couldn't stop staring at Duran. The golem form was amazing, but that wasn't all. As the sloth demon took other forms, Duran changed as well, keeping the demon in place for the others to hack and slash at.

Cat was slow on the uptake, but quickly raised her crossbow and began firing at the demon's face. The smaller crossbow may have not done as much damage, but she was able to fire it quickly and accurately, and reload within an acceptable space of time. She finally felt like she was contributing.

After a time the demon finally fell and Cat felt like cheering, but before she could, everything went white. She knew she was lying down, but she felt like she wasn't ready to open her eyes. She could feel the cold stone floor on her face, and simply laid there resting. Though this had happened in the fade, she was exhausted!

She heard some muffled laughter, and decided she'd better find out what was going on. Her eyes flew open as the ground moaned and moved, taking her with it! She was rolled onto her back, and found herself draped across Alistair's legs.

She immediately turned red, and looked up to see that Alistair was also. Her mouth opened and closed, then opened again as she tried to apologize, but nothing would come out.

Zevran, though still chuckling at their discomfort, helped her extract herself from Alistair's lap. "Not only finding us, but falling head over heels as it were," he teased her, watching the blush extend to her neck and ears.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she managed to eke out. "I thought at first you all were dead, and I ran in to check your pulses, and I was checking Alistair's when the sloth demon got me… I must have fallen right on top of you," She looked at Alistair, but found that he was looking anywhere else. "I'm really sorry."

"No harm done toots, I keep telling him to get a girl on top of him, ha ha!" Oghren belched out, and Alistair turned an even darker shade.

But then Alistair spoke up. "I'd like to know what Cat is doing here," he said in a rush. She whirled on him, and he gave her a sheepish look. Throwing her to the wolves like that… Cat decided he would have to pay!

"I would like to know that as well," Zevran said icily to Cat as she hung her head. "It was extremely reckless, just like the trap for the wardens!"

"Wha-?" Wynne gasped.

"You cannot keep doing this, you promised you would be more careful!" he continued as if Wynne hadn't interrupted.

Cat's head came back up slowly, eyes glittering dangerously. She knew she needed to nip this in the bud, or else he would be using these examples against her forever.

"First off, I didn't do it on purpose. I am not reckless, I am simply pushed farther than I am willing to take!" Her voice didn't raise in volume, but they could all hear the strength behind her words.

"Pushed." Zevran said disbelievingly. Duran had to admit, Zevran had guts. It was obvious that Cat was angry, yet he continued to rile her even further.

"Yes pushed," she snarled. "I'm sorry that your precious trap was ruined, but I'm not going to sit there and get manhandled by a disgusting man. Then the templars, trying to console me now that my __rabbit__ is dead-"

"MANHANDLED?!"

"CONSOLE?!"

She wasn't exactly sure who had yelled what, but all four males looked at her with righteous fury on their faces, and it was so intense, she took a step back. The action snapped them out of it, though the anger remained.

Zevran stepped forward, hand outstretched for hers, and she placed hers in his. He spoke softly, but she could tell he was still angry. "One of the mercenaries I hired… tried to…"

"Yes," she replied just as softly. "But I got away, and I am fine. But that is why I was running, I just didn't know that it was the direction of the trap. I'm sorry."

"No, I am sorry" he replied. "Although, things have turned out for the better, have they not?" he asked with a small smile.

"I think so," she said with a squeeze she pulled back her hand.

"About those templars," Alistair began.

"It's nothing, just crude offers since they believed all my companions to be dead" Cat said, turning to the rest of the group. "I finally couldn't take it anymore. I didn't think you were dead, but I knew I'd rather be facing death with you, than staying safely alone."

"I appreciate the sentiment Cat," Duran spoke up. "But you can't blame us for wanting to keep you safe."

"No," she replied. "I can't. And to be honest, I'm glad I didn't have to fight all of that" pointing to the stairs down.

"But now, we have battle stories to share!" Zevran added, coming up and putting his arm around her. "As well as wounds that need kisses-"

"Ugh! Zev!" She pushed him away from her, trying to keep from smiling. "Not a chance!"

"Does that mean no more good luck battle hugs?" Alistair asked.

"Good luck battle hugs?" Cat looked to him, sure she hadn't heard him correctly.

"Yes, remember my dove? Hugs before battle to ensure good luck, like you gave to me before we parted?"

Cat smiled as she understood, "Hugs are ongoing," she said with a grin, and received several back in return.

"Battle hugs?" Cat heard Wynne mutter.


	10. Chapter 10

The group stayed and rested, but only for a short time as they knew they needed to continue on to save the First Enchanter. Wynne was the driving force, with Cat helping though she didn't share why she was pushing them. Every so often she caught Duran looking at her questioningly, and she knew her time of silence was coming to an end.

As they reached the room where Cullen was imprisoned, Cat pulled Duran aside.

"I'd like to stay here with him," she said, nodding towards Cullen. "Perhaps I can give him hope that his suffering is almost over."

"That's fine with me," Duran said. "But what's the real reason?"

Cat smiled an embarrassed smile. "I may be more of a hindrance than a help for this one," she said quietly. "I'm not quite ready for abominations and pride demons." With that, she turned to let the others know that she would be staying behind.

They all accepted readily, and headed towards the stairs to the Harrowing Chamber, Duran giving Cat a last glance.

"Still here?" Cat heard Cullen ask himself quietly. "What form have you taken now demon? You will not tempt me with beauty, I will overcome!" His voice growing stronger as he gave himself courage.

"Hello," Cat said quietly, as she sat down on the floor in front of the cage of light, facing him. "I know it seems like demons and visions or whatever, but we are actually here to destroy those." She settled in, getting as comfortable as she could. "I know things have been horrible for you, but once my friends kill Uldred, you will be free again."

"No more!" Cullen whined, squeezing his eyes shut, and massaging his temples with his fingers. "I cannot chance to hope, I cannot take the disappointment when it is revealed to be false!" he moaned.

Cat wasn't sure how she could help, she seemed to be making it worse. So she did what she always did when trying to calm her nephews down; she sang. Granted, she felt silly singing children's songs to a templar warrior, but she figured if it worked for a three year old, it should work for him too. Especially when keeping the melody quiet and the rhythm slow.

Cullen froze as he heard her begin to sing, trying to keep the foul words away, but found himself slowly relaxing. Was she singing about a star? This was unlike anything the demon had done before. He stiffened again in worry before realizing something. He had never heard this song before, which meant that the demon could not have pulled it from his mind to torment him. All too soon, she was finished and went silent.

"Again, please," he asked, practically begging. Cat opened her eyes, and saw that Cullen was much calmer, looking almost relaxed.

Perhaps she was helping after all. So she began again, "Twinkle twinkle little star…"

* * *

It seemed like an eternity, but the cage holding Cullen eventually dispersed, and she crawled forward to him. She stopped before touching him however, as that could be disastrous.

"Are you… okay?" she asked. "You are free now." She let the words hang in the air, watching him, worried he may not be truly calm. He opened his eyes slowly, and she gazed into them and smiled warmly.

"You are… real?" he asked. "I thought I was dreaming," his voice slightly slurred as he was exhausted.

"Not this time," she replied softly. "The nightmare is finally over," she was sorry as soon as she said that, as he stiffened in response. She scooted back slowly, wanting to give him room and knowing that anything could set him off. They both looked up to the stairs as the door opened, and her friends emerged, followed by several others she didn't recognize supporting First Enchanter Irving.

"You were successful," she said, though she kept her eyes on Cullen.

"Yes," Zevran came up behind her. "The abominations have been purged."

"There is no way of-" Cullen began, stiffening again.

"Would you like to join us?" Cat asked loudly, interrupting Cullen's tirade. "We are heading back to the templars, and we can assist you if you'll allow it," she added motioning to herself and Zevran.

"T- the templars?" he asked, confused and hopeful at once.

"Yes, let us help you, Ser," she replied.

"All… all right," he said. "Can you sing some more?" he asked, and Cat flushed as Zevran smirked at her, delighted with this new knowledge.

"Perhaps later, but let's just focus on walking right now, okay?" she answered, knowing she would never be able to sing while helping him down the multiple staircases.

Cullen and Zevran both gave her pouting looks, and she almost burst into laughter at the sight. "Come on boys, let's get downstairs," she said moving to Cullen's left side, and placing his arm over her shoulders, while Zevran took his right side. Slowly, they helped him walk and they descended through the tower until they were finally at the great doors.

The others had been quicker, so that the doors were already open when they got there, and a few templars ran over to take Cullen from them, and help him to a cot. One templar even stopped them to thank them, and Cat recognized him as one of those that had given her the most trouble earlier.

Cat took a moment to stretch her sore arms and back, noticing that Duran was in a conversation with Greagoir and Irving. She figured they would be leaving soon for Redcliff, with mages coming to join them soon after.

Zevran came up and put his arm around her shoulders, and asked conspiratorially, "Now, Little Dove, point out these consoling templars for me, if you would be so kind."

Cat laughed, and moving away patted his arm in sympathy. "Not this time," she said. "But you can come with me to the quartermaster. I need to pay him for my new weapon, and reclaim something of mine."

* * *

Many hours later, and one more boat ride across the lake, Cat found herself in camp with the entire party in front of a large fire. She breathed a huge sigh of relief, finally able to truly relax now that they were out of the tower, and away from the templars.

"I still can't believe I missed all the excitement!" Leliana said as she prepared dinner over the fire.

"I can't believe you actually helped those… sheep" Morrigan sneered in reply, "It would have been much better to simply leave them to their fate."

"And how glad I am, that you are not in charge Morrigan" Wynne said as she walked up to sit next to Cat. "I much prefer being alive and not possessed after all" she quipped with a wink at Cat and Leliana.

Morrigan gave a sound of disgust, and turned away. Cat remembering suddenly the book in her pack, called out. "Morrigan, hold on, I have something for you!"

Morrigan turned back, impatient and cross but Cat could see the curiosity in her eyes as well. She opened her pack and walking over, handed Morrigan the wrapped book. "I hope I grabbed the right one," she said as she walked back to the fire.

Morrigan opened the parchment, and looked at the tome in surprise. "Mother's grimoire? But, how- how did you know? I did not have a chance to speak of it to the Warden." Cat was surprised to see Morrigan so flustered, and it in turn made her flush.

"Well, I just found what looked like a book of magic, so I grabbed it for you," she said trying to play it off, but seeing Morrigan focus harder on her.

"You grabbed a random tome that had to have been somewhere locked away, and thought, a woman I have hardly spoken to would like that?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Cat trailed off, uncertain of what to say. She hadn't thought about the repercussions, only that Morrigan wanted the grimoire.

"I think I can answer that," Duran interrupted, and everyone turned to face him with looks ranging from confusion (Morrigan) to dread (Cat).

"It's simple really," he continued. "Cat knows much more than she has told us."

* * *

Cat looked at Duran, her heart beating erratically, unsure of how to proceed. To have survived through the tower, to now be left behind, or worse have Sten kill her? Zevran didn't believe her, why would any of the others?

"It's all right Little Dove, just tell them what you told me," Zevran said behind her quietly. Raising his voice he addressed the group. "You may not believe what you will hear my friends, but I assure you, it is the truth." He then sat down and gave Cat a go ahead gesture with his hand.

Cat stared at Zevran, a guarded expression on her face. This was new. Did that mean he believed her now? What had changed his mind? And, if he did believe her, would the others?

Cat looked around again, too nervous to say anything, mouth opening slightly but no sound coming forth. Duran took pity on her, and tried to start the conversation.

"I mean, it's pretty obvious Cat," he began. "Firstly, we've never had to explain anything to you, not about who we are, or where we are going. You don't ask any questions, you just already understand what's going on."

"Second, you knew about Wynne before we had even entered the tower," the others including Wynne all looked at her in surprise "and you knew which book in an entire tower full of magic books was Morrigan's mother's." Duran's grin grew as he spoke, seeing the increasing look of angst on Cat's face. He gave a nod to Zevran, passing the conversation on to him.

"She also knew about the contract for your heads before it was announced to the Crows," Zevran added helpfully, and had Cat glaring at him.

"How?" Wynne asked. "How is this possible?"

"You must have been touched by the Maker," Leliana said reverently. "A kind of Oracle sent to help us!"

"What?!" Cat gasped, "No. No no no. That's not it at all." She kept shaking her head, hoping to dissuade everyone to forget that Leliana had said something so ridiculous.

"So explain it then," Morrigan demanded.

Cat sighed, knowing there was nothing else she could do at this point. She turned to Zevran and begged, "Just don't let them kill me, okay?" before turning back to the group and starting. He kept her eyes down at her hands, as she didn't think she could say it all if she looked at them. "Like I told Zevran, I'm not from Thedas…"

"How can you not-"

"Let her get it all out, Morrigan" Duran interrupted. "Then you can ask questions." He ignored the scowl she sent his way, and nodded to Cat to continue.

"In my homeland, there is an epic tale of adventure, humor, romance, what have you. It is the best story I have ever heard, for many reasons." Cat took a deep breath, and continued before she lost her nerve. "There were many characters, but it began with a man named Duncan," she paused as she heard Alistair's sound of surprise. "He had been recruiting for the Wardens in many different places."

"He didn't have much time, so he took his newest recruit to Ostagar, where the King's army was gathering." She noticed that everyone was focused on her, enthralled in what she was saying.

"The army went out to fight the darkspawn, but due to a horrendous act, their plan was never fulfilled and most of the wardens, the King and even Duncan lost their lives. The remaining wardens were saved, and set out to gather a new army to fight the blight. They travelled to many places, gathering allies of dwarves, elves, men and even a qunari to join their cause. Mages, rouges and warriors, even an assassin," she smiled at Zevran and he smirked back, "joined together to destroy the scourge upon their homeland."

"Is.." Cat interrupted her own tale as she could smell something burning. "Is your food done, Leliana?"

"Oh!" Leliana moved forward to take the overcooked ram off the fire. "Sorry everyone," she said, looking at her failed dinner.

"It is still better than Alistair's" Sten murmured.

"Hey!" Alistair griped, while the others snickered.

"Let me see if I am understanding correctly," Morrigan began coming back to topic. "You have somehow been told the story of the blight, of all of us, before it has happened? And you somehow travelled here, to Thedas, and became part of this same story?" She rolled her eyes. "You do know how preposterous that sounds, yes?"

"If I may add something," Zevran said before Cat could reply. "When I first met the little dove, she told me that I was not real." He smirked at the memory. "In fact, she was quiet convinced that she was dreaming."

Several looked to Cat for confirmation. "That- that's true," she admitted. "I imagine it would be something akin to waking up one day, and being introduced to Andraste," she turned to Duran, "or Endrin Stonehammer," she said. "It took some time for me to believe I was actually here."

"So," Wynne ventured, as the others began plating out their dinner. "If you know this story, you know how it ends?"

Everyone stared back at Cat at this. "Well, yes and no," she answered. She took in the disappointed looks and scowls. "I mean, I know that it ends with the archdemon defeated." She saw a few hopeful looks return. "However, I don't know who kills it, or how. One thing you need to understand about this story, is that there are many versions."

"Many versions?" She didn't even know who asked that.

"Yes, because of choices made," she said. "One time, the story started with Duncan visiting a noble family by the name of Cousland. They were besieged by enemies, and only their youngest child escaped, with Duncan's aid. That child was recruited into the Wardens and became one of the two surviving that ended the blight."

"Instead of me," Duran said, glaring at his food.

"Yes," Cat responded. "I have heard many different versions, so I cannot know what happens here. Some things were the same each time, such as the companions that joined," she nodded at Wynne. "And the blight was ended in each one," she added seeing Alistair with a hopeful look on his face.

"That's good news for us then," Duran quipped. "Be sure to share any other good news you can remember."

"Wait, you… you __believe__ me?" Cat asked, astonished. The others stopped their eating to look at Duran.

"I don't think you are lying, even though I don't understand it all, and it seems pretty far-fetched" he replied. "Probably wise not to mention it to anyone else though," he said with a smirk.

With that, everyone dropped it, and continued to eat, starting new conversations. Cat watched as Morrigan went to her tent with her food and new grimoire.

Leliana called out, "Cat, if you want to eat, you should hurry! These Wardens will finish off whatever is left!"

That snapped her back to reality, because she was starving. "Don't even think about it Alistair!" she said fiercely.

She grinned at the astonished look Alistair suddenly sported.

* * *

After dinner, Cat was staring into the fire, lost in thought when Leliana came and sat down beside her.

"I've been thinking," she began and Cat looked up. "And I have a few questions, if you will indulge me."

"Go ahead, though I cannot promise any answers," Cat replied.

"Fair enough," Leliana consented. "Firstly, if you are not from Thedas, how did you come to be here? And will you be returning home?"

Cat gave an uneasy smile. "I'm not sure, to both" she said, then elaborated. "The last thing I remembered, was going to bed in my pajamas at home. When I woke, I was fully dressed and found myself in a strange place, finding out later that it was Antiva." She frowned as she continued. "I don't know how I even got here, or where __here__ is in relation to home, so I have no idea how I would get back, or even if I could."

"Oh," Leliana breathed out softly. "I am so sorry for you, though I cannot help but be glad that you are here." Cat looked up questioning, and Leliana giggled. "Is that so hard to believe? That we have enjoyed having you along with us?" she asked.

"Actually, yes," Cat admitted with a smile.

"Well, it shouldn't!" Leliana stated, then lowered her voice so only Cat could hear. "Especially the Warden, he has always seemed so burdened down. True, there is much on his shoulders, but he has seemed lighter since you and Zevran have joined us."

Cat smiled. "Yeah, Zevran has that effect on people," she said.

Leliana giggled. "Yes, he does," she agreed. "But not only that, if you haven't noticed, our wardens have a bit of an issue when it comes to helping people."

"An issue?" Cat asked, curious.

Leliana's smile softened. "They want to help everyone," she said. "And it eats at them when they cannot. Helping you, has eased that burden somewhat as well, and I thank you for it. Part of me feels that perhaps you have been sent to us."

"I… I don't know what to say," Cat stammered.

"There is no need to say anything my friend," Leliana replied. "Now, secondly," she said leaning back and speaking more clearly, "if you are not sure how long you will be staying here with us, we should give you some sort of back story. Otherwise, you will be questioned everywhere you travel, and your answers will not satisfy. That could lead to trouble down the road."

"Very true," said a voice behind her.

"Zev!" Cat gasped as he had snuck up on her again. "Don't do that!" she punctuated this with a slap on his shoulder, as he chuckled.

"It appears we must revisit some lessons," he drawled and had Cat groaning as she remembered their travels to Fereldan.

"I have to be on guard in camp?" she asked dramatically.

" _ _Always__ be aware, Little Dove. Always," he replied as he sat down facing her, next to Leliana.

"As I was saying," Leliana continued with a grin. "I'm thinking perhaps your home was destroyed by the blight, or maybe the daughter of a noble who has run away-"

"Why a noble?" Cat interrupted with a frown. "Everyone assumes that, and I don't get it. Do I act rich and snooty?" she asked irritatingly.

"No my dove," Zevran answered. "It is more how you look than how you act."

"How I look?" she asked. "I look just like everyone else here," she said, looking down at herself. "I mean, these are common clothes aren't they?" she asked. She had simply taken the clothes Zevran had procured for her in Denerim, and hadn't thought that they may make her look noble.

"Yes" Leliana agreed. "But it is not just how your wear the clothes, it is also your hair. It is longer than most commoners, well past your shoulders and so thick and shiny too," she gushed. "Your skin is smooth, and your hands are not calloused," Leliana grabbed her hand, and Cat could feel the deep callouses she sported in comparison to her own hands.

"Not to mention, you are very healthy," Zevran added with a large smirk. "The clothes simply show it. It is no wonder you gain attention every where we go."

"What? Healthy…" Cast gasped as she understood. "Did you just call me… fat?!" her hand covered her heart as she practically swooned. This was not happening.

"Fat?" Zevran asked Leliana.

"No Cat," Leliana tried to calm her. "He is saying your body is pleasing to look at."

"What? Oh…" Cat breathed a sigh of relief, then glared at Zevran. "For future reference, a better term is curvy," she said making an hourglass shape with her hands.

Zevran grinned at her. "I will be sure to not make the mistake again, darling" he purred. "Your curvy-ness is very pleasing… just so you know."

Cat tried to stay calm, but she felt her face flame red. "I'd prefer to not gain any attention, if that is possible," she told Leliana.

"We will have to go shopping," Leliana's eyes lit up as she said it. "But I am certain we will find clothes that will help you to appear more common, if that is what you would like."

"Yes please," Cat urged, glaring back at Zevran as he continued to chuckle.

"My dove, I so enjoy the lovely flush you get when I tease you," he said smoothly. "But I think I should retire." He gave her a wicked looking smirk before saying innocently, "would you perhaps, sing me to sleep?"

Cat winced as Leliana grinned at her. She watched Zevran chuckle as he started walking away, and before she could blink she had pulled off her tennis shoe, and thrown it at his back. She gave him a smirk of her own, when he turned back, rubbing his shoulder where it had struck him.


	11. Chapter 11

The trip to Redcliff was long, and Cat could easily believe why it took almost a year for the wardens to gather their allies. Travel times were nothing to joke about and the load screen she used to complain about taking too long, was nothing compared to the real thing. For two weeks they walked, starting when the sun rose, and stopping only when dusk settled in.

Duran led them at an intense pace that she wasn't used to, but they could all see his desire to hurry back to Redcliff, so they didn't complain. For the first few days, Cat wasn't sure she would make it, but Wynne had helped heal her sore muscles and blistered feet each evening.

Despite the endless walking, Cat enjoyed herself immensely. As they walked together, they spent most of the time talking. Everyone was so curious about her home and everything about it that she finally declared that she would get to ask a question for every one she answered.

She thought she had known them pretty well and for some, it was mostly true. What she hadn't expected were all the small things that simply couldn't be put into the game. She discovered Wynne's love of scary stories, Zevran's ability to juggle, Oghren's spot on imitations, and even absurd things like Alistair being able to wiggle his ears.

After training, the evenings became a time for them to show off for each other, and she eventually convinced Morrigan to show them her ability to transform into an animal, which gave way to awed voices, and ended by Dog chasing her excitedly.

She even enjoying the training. Though it was mostly for her benefit, the others participated as well. Watching them spar with each other was always fun, but she also liked when they taught her new things. She learned from each of them, how to read the moves of fighters of their specific type and style, how to spot openings, and how to inflict the most damage.

Of course there were things that she didn't like, the lack of bathing everyday was first and foremost. Digging a hole to use as a bathroom ran a pretty close second. Cat missed a lot of the modern conveniences that she had always taken for granted, but their importance waned as each day passed.

"I believe it is my turn for a question, is it not?" Leliana asked her, pulling her from her reminiscent thoughts.

"Sure Leli," she answered. She had decided that that they all needed nicknames like she had, but Leliana and Alistair were the only ones who accepted theirs. Once she had tried calling Oghren "Oggie" which ended in an insulted dwarf that ignored her for hours afterward. "Ask away," she said.

"I want to know about this Steven," Leliana said, causing Cat to wince.

"Steven? Why?" Cat asked.

"Well, you have mentioned him several times, along with your family, but I am certain he is not related to you, by what you have said," she accentuated this with a wink.

She knew it would come up sooner or later, so Cat figured she might as well get it over with. "Well, that's true. We were married," she said nonchalantly.

"Ooh, do tell!" Leliana linked her arm in Cat's as they walked along.

Cat glanced around, noticing that while no one else looked their way, all of their previous conversations had stopped.

"There's not much to tell, Leli," she said at last. "We met, fell in love, and were married."

"How long?" she asked. Cat sighed internally. She should have known Leliana wouldn't let it go at that.

"Five years," she replied.

"You must have married very young," Wynne remarked.

Cat turned to her in surprise. "When I was 19," she said. "It that young compared to women here?" she asked.

"No," Leliana said and Wynne shot back with "but you barely look 20 now!"

Cat rolled her eyes, "I'm 25, actually. Most people assume I am younger. I think it's the freckles," she said with a grimace.

"That does not add up," Morrigan chimed in with a frown on her face. "If you have been married for five years, then you are 24 years old."

Cat sighed loudly this time. She had been dreading this. "I __was__ married for five years," she said nodding. "Then we divorced."

"Divorced?" a few of them asked at once.

"Yes," she replied. "Meaning we are no longer married."

Leliana looked shocked, and Morrigan thoughtful, but it was Wynne that spoke. "In your land, people can decide to __undo__ their marriage?"

"Yes," she replied. "Steven decided that he no longer wanted to be married, though to be honest, we were unhappy for some time before that," she explained.

"The man is obviously a fool, or perhaps deranged," Zevran offered from behind her.

"I have never heard of such a thing," Leliana said quietly.

"A man who does not fulfill his oaths has no honor, and deserves death" Sten added suddenly.

Everyone stopped and stared at Sten, disbelievingly.

Cat smiled. It gave her the best feeling in the world; not what he had said, but that HE had said it. Maybe he was finally warming up to her.

Duran cleared his throat, causing everyone to look at him. He looked at Cat and asked, "This is the man the demon was impersonating in the fade?"

"Yes," she replied.

He nodded. "Thought he was a nug-humper then, haven't changed my mind" he said. No one spoke for a moment, and Duran turned and started walking again. Then Oghren began laughing loudly, and they all joined in.

"Good one!" Alistair hooted. Zevran went so far as to hurry forward to join Duran in the front and pat him on the back.

Cat just grinned. Dwarven curses aside, this had been far easier to talk of then ever before. It seemed having friends made all the difference in the world.

* * *

A few days passed, and the weary group entered Redcliff. They made their way to the castle where they informed Connor's uncle, Bann Teagan, that the mages from the Circle were on their way to help remove the demon from his nephew.

Teagan and Lady Isolde, Connor's mother, were thrilled at the news and offered the group rooms and food while they waited.

After another day of waiting, Cat wanted to go explore the village, and she had a good idea of who wanted out of the castle just as much as she did.

"Hey Al!" She called out, ending her search as she found him out by the stables.

"Hello Cat," he replied. "What can I do for you?"

"I find myself in need of a guide," she said. His brow rose in question, so she explained. "I'd like to go to the town" she said. "You know, check in on the people, see how they are coming along… see if anyone needs help," she added knowing that would be what he wanted to do.

"I… but- " He seemed torn in indecision. "But what if the mages arrive, and we aren't here?" he asked her.

"I imagine they will start to prepare for whatever they are going to do," she answered. "We will only be gone a few hours, so I doubt they will be able to start without us." She knew he considered Arl Eamon, Isolde and Conner as family of some sort, and would want to be there for them.

He thought it over for a time, and Cat wondered if he would refuse. Finally he nodded. "Okay then, but only a few hours, right?" he asked.

"Absolutely!" she agreed cheerfully. "Let's go!"

It took a bit longer to get going, as Alistair decided to ask for a horse. However, Cat was grateful he did when it was a much further walk than she assumed. The game had made everything seem so close, and she shouldn't still be surprised at this point.

Once they made it into town, Cat let Alistair decide where to go, as he had been here before. She knew that they had fought a hard fight against some walking corpses that the demon inside Conner had created, and that many people had died before the wardens had shown up to help. She had no specific destination in mind, just wanted to see everything.

They spent their time greeting villagers, helping where they could, and receiving gratitude that they promised to pass on to the rest of the group. Alistair also showed her around the chantry, answering questions that she posed about the religion.

"It seems like the people are rebuilding, though the town is still in rough shape," she commented as they left the chantry.

"Yes, they've been so kind with their gratitude though really, they saved themselves," he mused. "We helped, but I don't know that we could have done what we did without all the extra help."

Cat smiled, "Extra help?" she asked.

He smiled ruefully in return. "I'm sure you already know," he teased. "But yes, there were a few others in town that fought with us. Some knights of the Arl, the townspeople, a dwarf, and even the tavern owner."

Cat's eyes brightened as she remembered. "Dwyn!" she said excitedly.

"What?" he asked.

"So, Al" she smirked. "How much money do you have on you?"

* * *

"I still don't understand why we had to buy Sten a new sword." Alistair said the confusion evident in his voice.

"Shh!" Cat glared. "Keep it down, it's a surprise!" she whispered. "Now, do you want to give it to him, or should we find Duran?" she asked.

"Definitely Duran," he answered. "I can see it now. 'Surprise Sten, have a new sword.' Then he picks it up and challenges me to a duel."

Cat giggled. "That actually sounds pretty accurate for Sten," she conceded. "Though with this sword, you may be surprised."

Alistair grabbed her arm pulling them to a stop, and eyeing her carefully. "This isn't just any sword, is it?" he asked seriously.

"No," she said. "You would have found it eventually, but I wanted to save you the trip to Orzammar, where you would have found out that it was actually here."

"If that's true, then you're forgiven for not telling me about this sooner," he responded in awe. "But why not give it to Sten yourself?"

"Well, technically, you bought it, not me." His gaze narrowed, and she knew he wouldn't accept her answer.

"Al, you remember what Sten was doing when you met him?" she asked.

"Of course, he was in cage in Lothering," he replied.

"Why?"

"Because he had killed a family," he answered, still not understanding where she was going with this.

"Why did he kill them?" she asked quietly.

"Because…" he stopped to think. "Oh, because they couldn't tell him where his sword... was…" He looked at her incredulously. "This, is _ _that__ sword?"

Cat nodded. "And so, I can't be the one to give it to him," she said. "Whoever gives him back his sword will be, like, a hero to him."

"Whoa," he breathed out, looking at the sword in an entirely different way. "Well that settles it. We need to find Duran." He started walking again, and she quickly caught up as they entered the castle. "I'm just not cut out to be Sten's hero."

Cat smiled as she looked at Alistair. How little did he know… "Just so you know Al," she said, causing him to look over, "you'd make a pretty great hero."

Alistair didn't respond with words, but his blush said everything.


	12. Chapter 12

Once their group finally left Redcliff behind, Cat couldn't help but be relieved. Everything had gone, mostly, as expected. The mages from the Tower had arrived, Wynne had been sent into the Fade, and Connor was freed from the demon's grasp.

Bann Teagan had pleaded with the wardens to assist them in finding Andraste's ashes, the last hope and miracle cure to assist in waking Arl Eamon. The Arl's knights gave them everything they had found on their search for the ashes, and that meant the wardens' next stop was Denerim.

The unexpected part had been last night, as a feast was thrown in their honor. Leliana had shown up in her room with a dress for Cat to wear, and insisted on helping her look "like a lady". She grimaced as she remembered all the awkward posturing, as she had had no idea how to conduct herself. Bann Teagan had been very kind, however his compliments were lost on Cat and she found herself confused more than not. Alistair gawked and turned red whenever she tried to speak to him, and after speaking to Oghren, she blushed so brightly that she avoided him the rest of the evening.

Zevran hadn't been much better, acting somehow like a jealous lover and an overprotective brother at the same time, giving her moments of complete exasperation.

Later, after several failed attempts to sneak out, Cat had finally made it to the door. Leliana, who had brought her back into the thick of things each time, was on the opposite side of the room and Cat grinned as she eased out into the hallway.

She had made it halfway down the hall when she felt a tug on the back of her dress so strong that she was halted where she stood. She turned her head to see Dog had a mouthful of fabric, and his "sad puppy" eyes on her.

She tried asking, she tried bribing, she even tried begging him to let her go but he wouldn't budge and started dragging her back to the party by her dress. She keep walking in the opposite direction, thinking that if the dress ripped it would solve all her problems since Leliana wouldn't keep her there with her dress in that condition.

Either the fabric was strong as steel, or Dog knew what he was doing, because she was losing their tug of war and was pulled back through the door before she knew it. Everyone got a hearty laugh seeing a red faced Cat dragged in by the war hound. She knew she had been bested when Leliana had walked up with a treat and a smirk, patting him and saying "Good Dog."

The following morning, they were back on the road, and Cat couldn't have been happier.

She placed herself in the front with Duran and Zevran, enjoying their banter. For a time they walked in silence, but she found it to be comfortable rather than awkward.

"What's that look?" she heard Alistair ask. "You look like the cat that swallowed the pigeon."

"Canary." Wynne replied.

"What?"

"It's the cat that swallowed the canary, not pigeon," she explained.

"I once had a very large cat," Alistair replied dryly, causing several snickers of laughter. "But, that's not my point. Why are you smirking at me ?" he asked.

"I saw you," Wynne teased. "You seemed in quite a trance, staring up ahead…"

"Well, yes. I look ahead to see where they are leading us" he replied. Cat looked over at Duran with a questioning look only to receive a smirk in return that she didn't understand but she wasn't surprised. She and Alistair were always the last to get the jokes.

"Oh?" Wynne continued. "And where exactly were her swaying hips leading you, hmm?"

Cat joined in giggling softly at Alistair's misfortune as he tried to talk his way out of it.

"No, no. I wasn't looking at her… hind-quarters…"

"Of course," Wynne replied.

"I may have gazed… er, glanced! In that direction, maybe. But, I wasn't staring! Or even seeing anything… even," he said, giving up.

"Mm-hmm," Wynne agreed sarcastically.

"I hate you," Alistair muttered, barely heard over the soft laughter.

"You do realize," Zevran looked over to Cat as she giggled, "that said 'swaying hips' are in fact, yours?"

Cat stopped laughing, and turning, gave Alistair a highly offended look. The group's laughter was even louder, as it was difficult to tell who turned a brighter red.

* * *

Three weeks later, they walked into Denerim. Their eclectic group drew stares, but they were left alone as they made their way to the nearest tavern to get directions.

"Can you not simply tell us where to go from here?" Morrigan said disdainfully at Cat.

"The story didn't come equipped with a map, Morrigan," she sniped back while thinking, 'as far as you know.'

"Ugh" Morrigan's trademark noise of disgust made Cat smile.

"But, knowing our luck, it's probably that one across the street, eh Leli?" Cat said to Leliana.

Leliana giggled as the wardens returned outside. "Apparently, it's that one, right across the street" Alistair said. His words were met with stares of disbelief. "What did I say?" he asked Duran.

They made their way over and knocked on the door. Cat immediately frowned at the young man who introduced himself as Weylon. He noticed her animosity and was taken aback, then somewhat frightened by her demeanor. Duran questioned him about Brother Genitivi and caught him lying to them, forcing the younger man to attack.

Zevran took the opportunity to stun the fake Weylon, and Sten caught him as he fell over.

Cat hurriedly ushered everyone inside, trying to avoid anyone's notice. By the time she

closed the door behind them, the man was dead with Duran cleaning his dagger before

re-sheathing it.

Cat pointed towards the back bedroom, and Zevran went with Duran to investigate.

Morrigan and Wynne began perusing the shelves of books, while Oghren and Alistair raided

the kitchen.

Cat watched as Dog paced in front of her, looking bored. She nudged Leliana, "Hey Dog," she said, getting his attention. "See anything interesting?"

They giggled as Dog perked up, and with a bark ran into another room, shortly returning with something in his mouth.

"Well, let's see it," Cat said with a smile pulling the item from Dog and holding it up.

"Is that… someone's small clothes?" Leliana asked with a giggle.

"Yes," Cat drawled. "Some __lady's__ small clothes." She winked at Leliana and said "wonder where these were hiding in the chantry scholar's house?"

Everyone was now focused on them, and watched in interest as Morrigan angrily strode up to Cat and snatched the item from her. Holding it out and creating a flame, she burned it to ash in her hand. Shaking the dust from her hand, she then sniffed in disdain at them, and strode out of the house.

Cat looked around at her friends with a smile as they all burst out laughing. Dog received many an extra treat that day.

* * *

"All right," Duran said as they sat around the tables in the Gnawed Noble Tavern. "I think the best way to do this is to split up." He held up his hand at Alistair's protest. "There is much to accomplish, and we can finish more quickly this way," he said.

He paused, but receiving no argument, he continued. "Alistair, you, Wynne and Dog will help Sergeant Kylon. He has several tasks to help make the city safer for the citizens. Once you're done with that, you should have time to look up your sister." Alistair and Wynne nodded, and Dog gave a bark.

"Leliana," Duran continued, turning to the bard. "You, Sten, Oghren and Morrigan will track down this Marjolaine. Scout out the situation first, but if you can end it, go ahead. We can always return with you later if you four are not enough. After that, try to handle some of these tasks we received from the bartender." Leliana looked nervous, but determined, and the four of them nodded their understanding as well.

"Zev, you and I will take Cat with us," Duran said, causing Cat to look at him uncertainly. "We received information on a few lucrative jobs in the area, that are also perfect for Cat to test her skills on" he continued, to her dismay. "Don't give me that look Cat," he said to her. "We're going along to make sure nothing goes awry." She nodded, though she didn't feel any better about it.

Having gotten their assignments, the group went their separate ways, agreeing to meet back at the tavern in time for dinner.

* * *

"It's your turn Little Dove, are you prepared?" Zevran asked Cat.

"If I say no, can we skip my turn?" she asked, and they both smirked at her.

"I suppose, if you are afraid…" Zevran started.

"Oh, I know what you are doing, and I'm really not happy that it is working," she said as she glared her worst glare at him.

"You can do this Cat," Duran said. "Now, what's your plan?"

"Hmm…" she thought. "Since my pick pocketing is mediocre at best, I don't think I can do what you both would and simply take it off her. Maybe if it was something small, but not a sword," Duran nodded, but said nothing, letting her work it out, like he was her stealing coach or something.

"Couldry told us she is somewhat of a hypochondriac," Zevran added helpfully.

"That might work," she mused. "I could give her some reason to take off her armor, which would make it easy to swipe the sword."

She looked at them for approval, but couldn't read their expressions. "You'll make sure and intervene if it all goes sideways, right?" she asked, uncertainly.

They glanced at each other then turned back to her. "No," they said in unison.

"What?" She looked back and forth between them. "Why not?"

"We won't always be there," Duran started. "We'll keep you from being killed or hauled off to prison," Zevran added. "But you need to see this through, no matter what may happen" Duran finished.

Cat frowned at them. "I knew you had some epic sort of bromance developing, but I never expected you to finish each others' sentences," she groused.

They glanced at each other again, before turning to her with twin smirks. "That wasn't meant as a compliment!" she said, though she couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Cat would never claim to be a rogue, now that she had seen Duran and Zevran in action, but she was pleased with her contributions. She had easily stolen the decorative sword from Ser Nancine while pretending to work at the Wonders of Thedas shop, once she convinced the woman to try on several dresses.

She had also been an instrumental distraction for a Seneshal's guards, allowing Zevran to sneak in and steal a crown that was in the Seneshal's care. However, she most proud of successfully sneaking into a seemingly abandoned warehouse. Though she had been caught, she managed to convince the guards that she was an innocent woman that had simply gotten lost. Her "coaches" had heaped praise on her after that one.

Having finished the jobs, Duran and Zevran had led her into a small armor shop in the market district.

While Duran spoke with Wade and Herren, Cat was fan-girling. She was wondering what Duran was ordering from the best armorer of exotic materials in Thedas.

"Alright Cat, we will come back to pick you up once you're done," Duran told her.

"Wait, what?" she asked. "Why?"

"You were not listening again, were you my dove?" Zevran asked, "Caught unaware, how disappointing," he said making a tsk sound with his tongue.

"Whatever, Zev" she said, rolling her eyes. "Why?" she asked Duran again.

"Master Wade will measure you for some simple armor," he replied. "We have plenty of materials, and with you doing more fighting we need to see that you're protected."

"Wow, thanks Duran," she said excitedly. "My first armor!" She then gave them a questioning glance. "And where are you going to be while I am getting measured?" she asked.

The only answer she got was two identical grins.


	13. Chapter 13

"You are remarkably quiet, Warden."

Duran glanced at Zevran. "I'm thinking," he responded.

The pair was slowly making their way back to the armorer, their time away not quite what they were expecting.

"I must admit, I am surprised," Duran finally spoke. "I assumed you wanted to keep Cat closer, not send her away."

"It isn't like that," Zevran protested. "I am not __wanting__ to send her away, I am simply trying to keep her safe."

"I see," Duran replied, and they both fell silent as they walked.

After a time, Duran spoke, "How do you think she will react to this?"

Zevran smirked, though it was tinged with sadness. "I'm not entirely sure," he responded. "I'm more worried about how all the others will react."

* * *

Cat wasn't sure what had happened in the last several hours, but everyone was acting strangely. They had met up with their group at the tavern, and had gotten their reports. While successful, both Alistair and Leliana were morose over the outcomes of their individual tasks.

She supposed their lack of cheer could explain the overall mood, however even Duran and Zevran seemed glum which was unusual. She tried talking them out of it, to no avail, and soon just grew silent. After all, everyone was allowed to have bad days, and she had had her share. She just wished she could help cheer everyone up.

The following morning Cat saw she was the last to arrive for breakfast. As she drew close, her friends stopped talking which immediately put her on edge. She stood to the side of the group, inwardly debating between demanding they talk and staying silent. The awkward tension was surrounding them all, and she finally burst.

"All right, what is going on?" she demanded. "You all are acting very strange." She looked around at them seeing guilt and sadness which confused her.

"It's nothing Cat," Leliana said quietly, causing Cat's ire to spike.

"Baloney!" Cat hissed. She heard Dog whine softly, as Leliana winced. Cat felt awful. Something was wrong, but Cat shouldn't take it out on her. "Look, I'm sorry, Leli." she said. She looked around at the others. Perhaps she had offended someone, or caused a problem somehow. "If I have done something…"

She was met with silence. Morrigan, rolling her eyes, gave her ever present "ugh" sound and walked over to Cat.

"They have found a way to send you from the blight's path," she informed Cat. "And now they are too upset to tell you so."

Cat reeled back in shock, as everyone began talking and arguing at once. Morrigan smirked and returned to her seat as a few of the others berated her for her callousness.

Cat held up her hand, in a gesture for them to stop, and after a few moments they were quiet. "You're sending me away?" she asked quietly, eyes on Duran. Zevran cleared his throat and she turned to him.

"That is what I promised you," he said. "To get you to safety."

"Well yes," Cat replied, "but…" she bit her lip because she absolutely refused to cry. "But I thought… I mean, I was getting better, I thought I could help."

Alistair stood to get her a chair, and guided her to it, helping her sit.

"It's not that we want you to leave Cat," he told her. "But all of us agree, that we want you to be safe."

"Really?" she asked, "all of you?" She looked around to see them all nodding, some more emphatically than others, but all of them were nodding. "Wow, that's probably the first time you all have agreed on anything!" she laughed seeing the refusal on their faces turn to acceptance as they realized it was true.

Cat sat in thought. She didn't want to leave, but so many things could go wrong if she stayed. She took a moment before asking, "Not that I'm agreeing to this, but how would it happen exactly?"

"Zev has a friend who is a captain, and she's setting sail to get away from the blight." He paused as Cat looked incredulously at Zevran. He continued, "We're pretty sure we can book you passage…" Duran trailed off, unsure what was going on between them.

"You want to send me off with Isabela?" Cat asked in disbelief.

"Why am I not surprised that you know of her, little dove?" Zevran chuckled. "But yes," he answered her. "She is escaping the blight, she will be able to keep you safe, and she owes me a favor." He grinned at her, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "It will be a grand adventure, I'm sure."

"I'm sure," she parroted back to him, again lost in thought. "Okay," she decided. "I'll meet her, but if I don't like her, I'm not going."

"Well of course not!" Leliana stated.

"You don't have to," Alistair agreed.

"Let's get this over with," Oghren said in a bored tone.

"Yes, we'll head to the brothel." Duran said with a grin.

"What?" Oghren turned back, ecstatically. "Heh, heh. C'mon boy," he waved at Alistair. "Time to lose that virginity!"

 _"_ _ _What?"__ Alistair exclaimed. Then realizing his voice was confirmation, lowered his tone and asked, "Why would you say that, to me?"

"Heh, I can smell purity a mile away. It's a gift." Oghren's face fell. "Though, not as great as you might think."

"That's too bad…" Alistair said, rolling his eyes.

"Wish I could smell cheese instead…" Oghren muttered.

* * *

Cat walked arm in arm with Zevran, and the others were content to give them space. She wasn't sure what to say, or even how to handle this. Its true that they hadn't known each other very long, but he had saved her life more than once. And the close proximity, spending everyday together with the group had forged some sort of relationship, though she couldn't really define it.

She could tell that he would be fine without her. Of course, she knew that already, but it was nice to see the friendship that he shared with Duran, and even the small ways that the others showed that they trusted and cared for him.

"Zev," she started, bringing his attention to her. "If this goes the way you are hoping, then I may never see you again."

"That is true little dove," he replied. "Although, there is no guarantee of this. After all that has happened, it is hard to not believe in the impossible." She smiled, remembering their journey to this point. She would not have believed it herself if she hadn't been witness to it.

"I have pledged myself to the Warden," Zev continued. "Otherwise I would accompany you myself. But I believe this to be the best way for you to be safe, and Isabela is trustworthy, for the most part."

Cat found it hard to speak, and so they continued on in silence. As they came up to the Pearl, Zevran reached forward to open the door, and said quietly, "Just give it chance, all right? We all desire your safety most of all," then ushered her inside.

He must have spoken with the others previously, for only Duran, Oghren and Alistair had accompanied them across town, and the three of them went to the bar upon entering the establishment. Zevran escorted Cat over to the opposite corner of the room, where she recognized Isabela sitting with only a bottle for company.

Isabela wasn't quite as Cat had pictured, for she was wearing armor instead of just a tunic. Though she showed as much skin as she was able, and Cat wondered if the armor served to protect anything, or was simply for show. However, she did wear a bandanna, keeping her long hair away from her face, and Cat was a little envious of the myriad of twists and braids that she had in her hair. It seems like a mix of braids and dreadlocks, and it was beautiful.

They came near the table, and Isabela looked up with a smirk.

"Well… hello there kitten. Zev what have you brought me?"

"Hello Isabela. And my name is Catarina." Cat spoke before Zevran could, as she wasn't patient enough for the flirting, and wanted to get this over with.

Isabela gave Zevran a knowing look. "You were right, she __is__ feisty, and I like it." She gestured for the two of them to join her, and they sat across from her.

"I hear you are looking to escape the blight, and I can help. It's the least I can do for a friend." She gave Zevran a wink and a smile. "And I owe him, of course."

"I'd say that _ _Zev__ is looking for me to escape," Cat replied. She could see Zevran glance at her, though she kept her eyes on Isabela. "I imagine it can be difficult to battle darkspawn with a distraction such as myself around."

"Little dove, you are __not__ a distraction," Zevran began, but Cat waved him off.

"Zev, you should go get a drink. Let Isabela and I get to know each other." She glanced at him briefly, not wanting him to see her nervousness.

"But my dove-"

"No, go on Zev, leave us to our girl talk," Isabela added. They watched as he got slowly to his feet and walked away. Isabela smirked. "I have seen him wrap plenty of women around his nimble fingers, but I never thought I would see it the other way around."

"He's my friend, though I think he feels as if he is responsible for me," Cat replied. At Isabela's look, she pushed forward. "I'll be honest with you, I don't want to go. However, my friends are concerned with keeping me safe. I am no warrior, though I can take care of myself. But, if something were to happen to one of them because of me, I would never forgive myself." Cat steeled herself, noting Isabela waiting for her to get it all out. "If it will put their minds at ease, then I'll go."

"Well, kitten, that's very noble-"

"But," Cat interrupted. "I have conditions," Isabela smirked at her again, but she continued. "I do not sleep with those I travel with, I earn my keep, and I will need to be taught how to sail so that I can be a part of the crew, not just a guest. Fair, Issy?"

Isabela looked startled for a moment at the nickname, then realizing that it was in response of her calling her kitten, smirked. It seemed that Zev hadn't been very forthcoming when he spoke of this girl. Isabela had been ready to take her along, simply to pay her debt, but now that she had met her, she was intrigued.

"Rules are made to be broken, dovey," Isabela gave her best seductive smile.

Cat's face became as stone. "Do not call me that."

Isabela's eyebrow rose. "More than a simple nickname, hmm? Or perhaps only one that __he__ can use? I'd say you're halfway in love with him already."

"I've been in love, it's not for me," Cat spoke back with no emotion. "Do we have a deal?"

She took another moment, as Isabela was no fool. There was something she was missing, but she always went with her gut, and it was telling her to take this girl along. "Welcome aboard. We leave tomorrow, at noon."

Cat nodded, and stood. She made her way back to her friends, and let them know she was heading back to the tavern. Alistair jumped at the chance to escort her, and she could tell he was not having a good time, so she agreed, bidding farewell to the others.

They were quiet for a time, as Cat was trying to think of what if anything she should tell her friends before she left. Was there anything that she should prevent? Perhaps tell them about Haven, or the High Dragon? Or maybe let Duran know about Soldier's Peak, or even Shale?

"So… you didn't like her, right?"

It took her a moment to realize what his question was. "Not really," she answered. She missed the excited look on his face and added, "but I'm sure she will grow on me." Cat's thoughts took a turn as she realized what kind of message she was sending, especially to Alistair. She had better fix it, and quick.

She turned to him, noting his crestfallen expression with confusion and said, "Al, I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me. I mean… I'm not trying to be a hypocrite, it's just that I don't want to disappoint you."

"Um, okay?" Alistair replied, unsure of what she was saying.

"What I mean is, I am a firm believer of following your heart. Of not just doing what others tell you is right or wrong."

Alistair grinned, his crestfallen expression a memory. "That's a good thing, right?"

Cat laughed, "Well, I think so." They fell back into silence as they rounded the corner to the marketplace. Cat looked around, thinking that perhaps shopping with Leli would be fun. They drew near the tavern, walking along the side of the building.

"Wait… Cat," Alistair spoke, holding onto her arm to pull her to a stop.

"Yes?" she asked, turning to face him.

"I… I just wanted…" he stepped close, and leaning down, put his lips on hers.

Cat froze, eyes widening in surprise. It reminded her of her first kiss, awkward but sweet, and she couldn't think so she simply stood there, as he ended the kiss and leaned back, his face a bright shade of pink.

"I'm sorry… I just, know you're leaving and I've been wanting to, and well…" he rambled.

"No, it's okay," she said, putting her hand on his arm. "It's just __really__ bad timing."

"Yeah," he hung his head. "That's what everyone has been telling me."

Cat startled at that. _"_ _ _Everyone?!"__ she thought.

"But then you said not to listen to what others told you… so I thought…" he took in her confused expression, "and that's not what you were… Maker, I'm an idiot."

Cat's brain finally put the pieces together, and she realized how he took what she had been saying. "No, of course you're not," she said gently.

"Then, if that's not what you were talking about, well… well what were you talking about?" he asked. He realized that they were standing a bit close, and took a step back, however she simply stepped forward, and he gazed down at her.

"Al, you are my friend, and I care about you. Maybe in another life, it could have been something, but you have your duty and I have mine." He nodded, as he could understand. Duty always took precedence over things that he wanted.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, so I just wanted to tell you, to make your own decisions, especially when it comes to what you want out of life. Do not let others decide your fate."

"Oh, I get it," he said as her earlier words came back to him. "And you are a hypocrite for letting us decide to send you away." He cupped her cheek with his hand. "Cat, if you don't want to go…"

"No, I don't want to," she agreed. "But I'm not a fighter, not like the rest of you. I'm a liability. And as much as I want to stay, I want to give you guys every advantage to succeed. So, I'm going to go." She reached up to her cheek and covered his hand with her own. "For whatever it's worth, you're going to make some girl really happy one day." With that, she continued into the tavern, and Alistair stood against the building with a sad smile on his face.

* * *

"Sten, I need your help." Cat had finally found the warrior she had been searching for. In order for her to put her new plan into action, she needed someone to accompany her that wouldn't ask too many questions. "I need to go to the marketplace, they will be closing soon, and I shouldn't go alone."

Sten eyed her critically. "Tiny woman, we have everything we need here, there is no reason to go to the market."

"Please Sten, I'm leaving tomorrow, and I need a few things."

"It is not necessary."

Desperate times, desperate measures. "I'll buy you some cookies!"

"We must hurry then, they will be closing soon." Cat grinned at his abrupt change of mind, and hurried out the door with Sten at her back.

* * *

The next morning Cat could hardly wait to see her friends. This was her last morning with them, which made her stomach clench, but she was also thrilled to surprise them. She took the time to pack up her belongings, hardly believing that she had accumulated so many things since arriving in Thedas.

She now had several changes of clothing, her new drake skin armor, her crossbow and bolts, several days of rations, her tent and bedroll, three pairs of shoes… she counted it all off in her head as she packed. Once she was done, she realized she would need to solicit help to get it all outside.

She opened her door, and found Zevran in front of her, his fist poised in the air to knock.

"Good timing Zev, I was just wondering how to get all these bags out of here by myself," she said with a smile.

"My dove, I thought we agreed to keep your belongings at most to two bags, how will you carry all this when on your own?" She thought he would smirk at her, but he just looked concerned.

"Don't worry, I'm only taking two of them, the others are for everyone else," she said flippantly. She had decided that she would make this as easy on everyone else as she could, so she had to keep a smile on her face.

Zevran picked up her pack and bedroll. "Come then, the others are waiting to eat until you arrive." Cat smiled, and picked up the remaining bags then followed Zevran out to the common room. She stopped at the empty seat at the table, and placed her bags in the chair instead of sitting.

"What's in the bags, you're not taking all the food with you, are you?" Alistair joked. Cat smiled, as it seemed he had the same idea she did.

"Not everything," she teased. "Just the cheese," laughing at both her joke, and the scandalized look Alistair sported.

"Everyone?" she asked to gather attention, but realized she needn't have bothered. They were as focused on her, as she was on them. "I know that once the blight has been stopped, you all will go your separate ways and I may not see you again. So, I got you all something to remember me by," she said.

"Oh! You didn't have to!"

"As if we could forget you!"

"Wait, who were you again?"

"Alistair has already begun mourning…"

"Hey!"

Cat grinned as she walked around the table, listening to their banter and handing out presents. It had been a simple thought, remembering the Feast Day presents, but a little trickier to remember each person's present.

"Duran, yours is outside, so c'mon." Cat pulled on his arm. "We'll be back, enjoy your gifts!" she said, pulling Duran along with her as she headed to the door.

It had been much harder to find the perfect present for Duran, as she didn't know nearly enough about him, but she thought she had found just the thing. She pulled him over to the nearby market stall, and hoped that this was going to be as good as she thought.

"My lady, you've returned…" the dwarf in front of them said as he recognized her from the previous evening. Shifting his gaze to Duran, his eyes widened and he paled. "My…. my Lord? Is it really you?"

Cat watched Duran's face light up, and Gorim stepped forward to shake his hand, but Duran simply wrapped his arms around him, then held him at arm's length. They began talking rapidly, asking questions, telling each other of their survival, and new people in their lives. Cat grinned, so happy that the surprise was a good one and turning, walked back to the tavern.

Duran spoke of his companions, and remembering Cat, turned to thank her. He saw her turn the corner back to the tavern, and thought how rich his new life as a nobody was compared to his previous life as a prince. He turned back to his friend, and continued his tale.

* * *

Cat had told herself not to cry, and had held out as long as she could, but tears had escaped as she bid each of her companions farewell. They would be leaving Denerim as well, and were preparing to continue on in their quests. Zevran walked Cat down to the docks, insisting that he must see her board the boat personally, for his own peace of mind. Cat didn't care, that put one goodbye off, even if only for a little while.

"You know, little dove, you never finished your story," Zevran commented, grabbing her hand in his. She tilted her head in question. "The epic one, about the Wardens," he continued. "I believe there was a devastatingly handsome assassin in it."

Cat grinned, "That's true, I haven't," she said, then turned serious. "Would you really want to hear the rest?" she asked him.

He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "On second thought, no. I am quite enjoying the freedom of deciding my own fate for a change."

"Good!" she nodded to emphasize her point. "Keep it that way, and perhaps in the future we will see each other again." She hoped so, if everything stuck to the story she knew, they would both be in Kirkwall at some point.

He glanced her way incredulously, "Just how long is this tale?" he asked.

"Who knows?" she answered, shrugging her shoulders. He forgot his retort as he saw that they had arrived. Isabela came up, giving her directions and instructions, then Cat turned to him.

Cat didn't care that he was some scary assassin, he was her friend. She threw her arms around him, giving him a huge hug. It was hard to let go, but she finally did, then stretched up to kiss his cheek. "Take care of yourself, and the others too, okay?" she asked.

Zevran nodded once, "Farewell, my little dove," he said softly.

Isabela stood beside him, watching as Cat boarded the Siren's Call, tripping on the gangplank and laughing at herself. He smirked and chuckled to himself, as he recalled how clumsy she could be.

"Don't worry Zev," he heard Isabela say. "I'll watch out for her."

His eyes never left her, as she turned back to wave to him. He lifted his arm to Cat, in a silent farewell. "See that you do." He turned to leave, and paused. "And Isabela… thank you."


	14. Chapter 14

Captain Isabela ran a tight ship, if she did say so herself. She walked the deck, checking and double checking the work of her crew, ensuring that everything was up to her expectations. She smiled as she finished her walk, noting that though it had been rough at the beginning, her crew was now one of the finest in all the waters of Thedas.

Noting the position of the sun, she walked over to the port side and saw Catarina climbing aboard. Since the very beginning of their voyage, Catarina had been obsessed with the idea that the ship would sink, and she felt she must be prepared to swim for her life. Isabela didn't agree, and could have simply ignored her, but had decided to give her time early each morning before the sails were furled to practice.

She had assumed that after one minute in the frigid water, the girl would come straight back and never go again, but she had been wrong. Every morning without fail, she had taken a rope, tied it around herself and jumped into the water, keeping pace with the ship as best she could. Several crew men had taken it upon themselves to watch out for her, pulling her in if necessary due to cramp or bad weather.

Of course, Isabela mused, there were those like herself, who simply enjoyed the sight of a pretty girl in her small clothes, but Catarina didn't seem to care. Isabela had to admit that her first impression had been way off. She was blaming that on Zev, however. The elf had told her to watch the girl like a hawk, as she was constantly getting into trouble and unable to take care of herself. In fact, when she had seen the girl trip over her own feet as she boarded the ship, she had decided to simply put her in a crew member's care.

Since that day, Isabela had had all preconceived notions torn to shreds as Catarina never once acted as expected. First with the swimming, then the insistence on learning about each crew member and their duties. Then the ship itself, the rigging, the terminology… Isabela smirked to herself as she thought of how quickly the girl was endearing herself to the crew.

She watched her own thoughts in action as a few men stepped forward to help Catarina onto the ship, and another wrapped a blanket around her. She observed the looks and smiles that passed between them, and turned to walk back to her cabin. She had never had a loving family, but thought that the looks she had seen were something akin to that and she needed to get away before she found herself joining in.

* * *

 _"_ _ _You have got to be kidding me!"__ Duran said under his breath. Zevran looked over with a smirk, enjoying the exasperation and horror on his friend's face.

The entire group was huddled together, just outside the door, staring up at the high dragon with fear and awe. After all the fighting to simply reach this point, they were not at their best. And now they had to face a high dragon?

"Think of it as practice, no? For the archdemon?" Zevran commented, gaining cold glances from both of the wardens. "What?" he asked innocently. "What did I say?"

"Perhaps we can simply sneak past," Leliana said quietly. "It is asleep, and we are small in comparison." She glanced up to the dragon and back down to the path. "just a few at a time, maybe?"

"Not a bad idea," Wynne answered, as she too viewed the path ahead. "If it does come to attack us, we can surround it."

"Perhaps you sneaky types should try first," Alistair said, still looking at the dragon. "I feel my armor may be too loud."

Duran looked thoughtful, but decided he was right. In fact all the warriors should stay behind, they were hardly light on their feet, and Shale was worst of all. Intimidating yes, quiet… no.

"All right then, Zev, Leli, Wynne. You're with me. The rest of you, keep an eye on that dragon. Try to distract it if it wakes, to give us time to make it to the temple." He looked around to see them all nodding. Those that were leaving, left packs and any items that would cause unnecessary noise behind, then ventured out along the snowy path.

 _"_ _ _You seemed surprised to see the dragon, my friend. Did the little dove not tell you anything of import then?"__ Zevran whispered as they snuck along.

 _"_ _ _She told me some things that made no sense, but she said they would in time,"__ Duran replied. _"_ _ _A heads up about a high dragon and a cave full of dragon worshipers would have been nice though."__

They grinned at each other, and could see Leliana's shoulders moving in a silent giggle. Wynne turned to give them a wry smile as well, and Zevran could see that they were all remembering their companion.

 _"_ _ _How about the time she ran right into that cave to get out of the rain?"__ Wynne whispered with a chuckle.

 _"_ _ _Ugh, giant spider guts never come out of clothes, no matter how many washes!"__ Duran whispered dramatically. Zevran was caught by surprise and let out a snort.

The group froze, and looked up worry etched on each face. The dragon shifted, but stayed asleep. With a sigh of relief, they continued their journey, though first giving Zevran a cold look, to which he replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

 _"_ _ _I blame the Warden,"__ he muttered.

Duran smiled, _"_ _ _I'm not the one who let her discover giant spiders for herself,"__ he replied. Zevran smiled at the memory. The dove had certainly given him hell that day. Odd, that it was her ire that he missed the most.

* * *

Isabela met with her crew, as always, at dinnertime.

"Fellows! It seems to me that our newest acquisition," she paused as Catarina started choking on whatever she had been eating. Those on either side of her pounded on her back, and she coughed.

 _"_ _ _Excuse me?"__

Isabela ignored her and continued on. "Right. Our newest addition, has need of some of our expert training. And so," she pitched her voice louder to be heard over the chatter, "we shall start in the morning, at full sail." She smirked as she took in the gleeful faces of her crew, and Catarina's frown. "Better place your bets lads."

Cat watched Isabela saunter out of the room. She had been systematically befriending everyone on the ship, and Isabela was turning out to be the hardest nut to crack. At first she had thought that being friends with Isabela would be easy, and getting the hulking men would be more difficult, but it was the other way around.

In fact, it seemed as if Isabela was completely ignoring her, which went against everything Cat had planned. The longer she stayed in Thedas, the more she forgot about Earth. Her family, her life… True, she hadn't been doing much with that life since her divorce. She had wondered several times if anyone even noticed that she was gone.

When her plans fell apart, she fell apart. Though she didn't really miss Steven, and she knew they were both happier apart, everything she had dreamed, everything she had worked for was gone, and she hadn't known what to do with herself.

Now, here she was again. In a much more dangerous situation, and without concrete plans, sure, but life was moving on and she felt unable to catch up. She quickly finished eating, and headed outside. She needed to be alone.

Isabela looked over at the noise that interrupted her solitude. She stepped back into the shadows as Catarina came forward to the railing. She really was a pretty thing, full of contradictions. The womanly curves, and blunt demeanor combined with her creamy skin and girlish freckles. The wild, dark hair that she constantly tamed by keeping it braided over her shoulder. Isabela originally thought that she was some noble woman running away from her life of privilege, but the more time went by, the more she saw a girl, running from life in general.

At first she had contemplated simply seducing the girl, but Catarina had bonded with her crew, and the lost look in her eyes had Isabela keeping her distance. This girl was a complication, and Isabela preferred things simple.

Cat heard a noise and whirling around, asked "Who's there?". Silence greeted her, then Isabela stepped out of the shadows. Cat sighed in relief, and turned back to the water. Neither of them spoke as they stood side by side, leaning on the railing and looking out at the night sky.

"Do I offend you, Captain?" Cat blurted out.

Isabela turned with a smirk. "Not at all sweetheart, what makes you ask?"

"It just… I mean, you… well you know…" Cat stammered. "You're not what I expected I suppose."

Isabela let out a full belly laugh, and Cat stood there perplexed. "I'm just what I appear to be. A pirate captain, who enjoys her freedom and does as she pleases." She looked Cat up and down then asked, "And what are you?"

Cat opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. There was a pause before she finally replied, "I don't know… and that scares me."

"I won't sugar coat it, I can't help there, that's all on you. But, me and my crew can teach you how to fight and how to sail, and give you time to figure it out."

"I can't ask for more than that," Cat responded, looking out at the sky. The stars were beautiful, and looked so foreign. She had been drifting for so long now, wasn't it time to make some decisions? So many awful things were going to happen, and she knew about them. Some of them needed to play out, but perhaps with some planning the main crisis's could be averted?

 _"_ _ _Make a decision Cat"__ she told herself. She turned back to Isabela and stuck out her hand.

"I'm in."

* * *

"I can't believe we've done it."

"Don't get ahead of yourself Leliana, there are still many things to accomplish." Duran said, looking over his shoulder at the archer.

"I know you're right Duran," Alistair added. "But the fact that we've actually been able to amass an army, is quite an achievement. Especially for the two newest members of the Grey Wardens. I don't know that I believed we could do it back at the beginning."

"We've as good as won, Warden." Oghren joined the conversation, though he was still looking around for any other attackers as they made their way back to Arl Eamon's estate. "We got rid of Howe, the rutting traitor, and rescued the Queen."

"True enough, my smelly friend," Zevran replied. "Loghain has no idea what we have in store at the Landsmeet," he turned to give Duran a look, "especially since the Arl plans to announce a new ruler of Fereldan."

Several of the party turned to look at Alistair at this comment, and he looked as if he was going to be sick. "I told him it's a bad idea, but he just won't listen!" Alistair looked pleadingly at his companions, "You should all tell him it's a bad idea. I can't even lead the ten of us, how could I possibly lead a country!"

"Calm down Alistair," Leliana soothed. "Your voice is going higher than even Dog can hear," she said, and the others chuckled.

"Come on, everyone, let's get back to the estate" Duran said, and all other banter stopped as they made their way through the city.

* * *

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Morrigan knew it all, about the joining, the taint, even that a Grey Warden must die in order to kill the Archdemon." Duran saw the panicked look on Alistair's face that must have matched his own. If Duncan had taught him anything before his death, it was the need for secrecy.

"How did she know?"

"I think from her mother, but that's not the point. She says that we need not lose someone. There is a ritual that can be done, that would prevent the Grey Warden from dying."

"And the consequences of this path?" Alistair asked skeptically.

"I'm not sure," Duran replied. "Though Cat did tell me, that either way would be fine. She told me to make my own decision, even though I asked for clarification, she just smiled. I know it's my choice, but I could really use your advice."

"Advice? From me? Wow… that's a first."

"Be serious man."

"Fine. I think that if there isn't anything insane Morrigan is asking of you for this, then it's a good idea. There are a lot of good that you and I can still do in the order, and even with the Archdemon dead, there will always darkspawn."

Duran looked at his fellow warden. "Thank you Alistair."

Alistair looked at his friend, and decided to continue. "And since we're on this subject, Cat also said something similar to me. Not to let others decide my fate, that I could do or be what I wanted." He wasn't sure if Duran would help him, but he had to try. "Duran, I … I don't want to be king. I want to stay a Grey Warden, that is, if I survive."

"You talk of doing good," Duran replied, "do you know how much more good you can do as king?"

"Yes, but there is so much more harm I can do, if I mess up."

"You have advisers and such to help with that."

"True, however, I don't want it."

Duran looked Alistair over, and seeing that he was being serious, was taken aback. Alistair was never serious, and used humor in any and all situations.

"This obviously means a lot to you, and Anora has been pestering me to support her candidacy for remaining the monarch." Alistair nodded. "If that is what you really want, I will make a deal with her,"he said, and Alistair looked relieved. "Of course, we'll need to ensure that she doesn't try to have you killed, perhaps swearing fealty at the Landsmeet or something will suffice."

"Whatever it takes," Alistair replied with a smile. "She can have it."

"Very well my friend, it seems that both of us are stepping off the chosen path. I'd better go talk to Morrigan. I'll see you in the morning for the Landsmeet."

"Thank you, and good luck… my friend."


	15. Chapter 15

Cat climbed up the rope ladder, shivering in the early morning chill. Swimming early each morning was not her favorite activity, but she could find the good if she looked hard. She had to just keep reminding herself that this was to help her survive once they reached Kirkwall.

Every now and then, some of the crew would join her, though she assumed that was just a ploy to try to get their hands on a half naked, wet female, and she never gave them the chance. Arvid, one of the deck hands, was the only one who swam with her with any regularity, and the both of them were getting much better.

After stepping over the railing, she was surprised to find that no one was in sight, and her clothes and towel were also gone. She rolled her eyes, and started to head to the captain's cabin. Isabela had simply informed her to move her things in one day, after they had been at sea for three weeks. She had winked at Cat and said it was best to "remove temptation". It had taken longer than she wanted to admit to figure out what Isabela had meant.

Cat was pulled to a stop, a hand grabbing her right arm. She quickly spun to her left, bringing her left arm up to elbow her attacker. She looked around, as her arm was blocked and saw nothing that could help her. Making a quick decision, she bent forward putting her left hand on the deck, and kicked up with her feet. She grabbed around the attacker's neck and shifting her body weight, reached out and hit the man behind his knee.

She was just as surprised as he when his leg folded in, and he toppled to the ground, taking her along. She quickly sat atop him, putting her hands on his face with her thumbs above his eyes, ready to put them out if needed. Then she paused to assess the situation.

If there was one thing these raiders were teaching her, it was to strike quickly and not to stop until she had control. The second lesson, there was no such thing as fighting dirty.

Cat sat there tensed, as the remaining crew stepped out applauding. Isabela helped her stand, and shouted out, "All those who bet against Cat, pay up!" Cat could hear the victory cheers as well as the grumbling from those that had lost.

She stood upright and rolled her neck and shoulders, trying to calm the tenseness in her muscles. "Just how many of these tests am I going to get?" she asked, complaining.

"This wasn't a test darling," Isabela replied. "Now we're just keeping you sharp."

"Well, be a __darling__ and wait until I'm dressed in the future, would you?" Cat asked with a roll of her eyes.

"But this is my favorite outfit of yours," Isabela smirked.

"I don't doubt that," Cat said as she walked off. She was really enjoying the friendship she was developing with the captain, and found herself wanting to channel her inner Isabela more often than not.

After cleaning up, Cat headed back to the deck. She had her hair in her hands, braiding it as she walked up the stairs, and stopped as she reached the top step.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Everyone was still, staring out into the water. Big Tom, the first mate, was standing by the captain and he waved her over. As she neared, she finished her braid, and flicked her hair over her shoulder, looking out beyond the ship. She turned in a small circle. There were ships all around them. They were surrounded.

"It's the Felicisima Armada, I think," he told her quietly. "That's the flags they're flying anyway. They must want something, otherwise they'd just attack."

"But aren't we part of the Armada?" she asked back, just as quietly.

"We've been working for them, aye" he responded, glancing at their captain who was unusually quiet. "Our last job didn't go exactly according to plan though."

Cat wracked her brain, but didn't know enough about Isabela's history to know exactly what was happening. So she stood there with the crew watching as a single ship came towards them. She supposed the others stayed back within cannon range in case anything went wrong.

"Velasco," Isabela murmured with a disgusted look on her face. She turned to look at Cat. "Stay behind Big Tom, and don't do anything to draw attention to yourself." Cat started to protest, but the look in the captain's eyes stopped her. "Velasco is not someone you want to tangle with just yet," she said. "Someday, but not yet," she added with a wink, causing Cat to smile as she side stepped behind Big Tom.

"I'll be boarding that ship," Isabela spoke up, so that her crew could all hear her. It said something about the atmosphere, that there were no objections but she wanted to put them at ease anyway. "Castillon obviously wants to speak about the last job before giving us any more. Be patient, and wait for my return, I'll be very upset if anyone were to get killed today."

Isabela looked around at her crew, seeing the nodding heads and looks of unease. They had never experienced something like this before, but she was sure she could handle it. Castillon was not one to throw tantrums, he used all of his tools to their limits. All she had to do was prove that they were still useful.

She stopped as she noticed the odd look on Cat's face, one of acceptance, and encouragement. Isabela wondered how she, out of everyone could know how bad this was going to be. But she smiled back, needing that vote of confidence right now.

* * *

Alistair panted, as they had killed all the darkspawn in the vicinity and had earned a slight rest. This battle was quickly becoming worse than even his imagination could conjure. Stories of war were always filled with heroes and villains, glory and sacrifice, and had not prepared him for what it truly was… death.

True, there were heroes, strong men and women who fought with all they had, gaining glory or sacrificing all in order to save their families, their country. But at this moment, all he could see was the death. Death of the potential as well as the death of the people.

He hefted his shield back up, and called for his companions. He checked with each of them, Wynne, Oghren, Leliana and Shale ensuring that they could continue. They had found and killed the darkspawn general that had been plaguing Denerim's marketplace, and now needed to meet back up with Duran and his group.

A loud screeching sounded nearby, making Alistair wish his hands were free so that he could cover his ears. He winced then straightened, as he saw the Archdemon fly overhead. He heard Leliana and Wynne gasp, and Oghren cheered as the dragon went careening down atop Fort Drakon. He noticed as the women had, the small figure that fell hundreds of feet from the dragon. Another death, full of glory and sacrifice.

"We have to make it worth it," he said to himself.

"Alistair?" Wynne asked, coming forward to put her hand on his arm, and checking to see if he was all right.

He looked at his friends, and said louder with determination, "Someone just gave everything to get that dragon down. Let's make sure their sacrifice was worth it!"

He saw his determination burning in their eyes, and his confidence soared. He nodded, and led them through the streets, onward toward Fort Drakon.

* * *

Duran opened his eyes slowly, as he wasn't sure what he would see. A bright light? His ancestors that went before him?

"Duran? Can you hear me?"

He recognized that voice, but that shouldn't be possible. That meant… it meant that Morrigan had been right. He opened his eyes fully, staring at Alistair.

"You… you're alive. You're okay?" At Alistair's words, several other faces appeared above him, looking relieved.

"We thought you had left us Warden," Leliana said with a smile, a tear running down her face. Wynne gave her shoulder a squeeze before kneeling next to him, and checking him for injuries.

"It seems even my best efforts were not successful," He teased, wanting to make his friends smile, needing to lighten the mood around him.

Zevran smirked, and understanding his friend, added "Or perhaps the void didn't want you and simply spat you back out." Duran chuckled as he sat up, and his companions joined in. Seeing his master sit up, Dog jumped in with no remorse, causing all sorts of cursing and laughter.

"My friends, I must ask something of you," Duran said once Dog had settled down and he had stood. They all looked to him, and he looked around to ensure they were relatively alone. "I'm not sure how I am still here," he began. "Riordan told us that the warden who gives the final blow would not survive."

They looked surprised, and a few looked to Alistair for confirmation and he nodded. "When this gets out, we will have a lot of wardens here asking questions."

Duran paused, and waited for his friends to look back at him. "That's why I must ask that this not get out," he said. "We are the only ones to know what truly happened, but I would ask that you support us in telling the world that Riordan slew the Archdemon."

"Where is Riordan?" Wynne asked. "We haven't seen him since we split up."

"He fell," Zevran answered solemnly. "bringing down the dragon."

"That was him?" Alistair gaped. "We saw someone fall from the dragon, I had no idea it was Riordan."

"Yes," Duran stated. "So, in truth he did bring down the Archdemon. I am asking that we stick to that. Can you all do that?"

He was met with nods and comments such as "of course Warden," and "whatever you need of me". He was humbled at the faith and friendship that they shared with each other. After nearly a year of traveling, he was saddened knowing their time together was nearly up and they would soon be parting.

"Thank you, my friends," he said. They all stood there together, and he thought of those that were missing. Having them there would be the only way to make that moment better. He waited a few minutes, giving all of them the time they needed, then he spoke. "It seems that our allies are starting the celebrations. Shall we join them?"

* * *

Cat noticed the heavily bearded man that was eyeing her from the ship that was moored to the Siren's Call. She debated just returning below decks, but that felt like running away. If she had learned anything over the past few months, it was that she was done running.

So she stood her ground, giving him a glare, and turning to speak to Arvid. They spoke of nothing of consequence, each knowing that the other was simply passing time while waiting for their captain.

After a time, Isabela emerged from the cabin looking annoyed but unharmed. Cat could feel everyone around her relax as they saw their captain. She watched as Isabela was stopped by Velasco. Isabela gave her a glance before responding, then turned to return to her ship.

Velasco tried to stop her, but Isabela side stepped his hand. She gave some degrading remarks, if Cat was reading her expression correctly. Velasco's face grew angry and he was held back by a fellow crew member as Isabela walked away.

As Isabela came aboard the Siren's Call, her crew instinctively stepped closer, Cat included. They waited and watched as the ships that surrounded them left, and no one spoke, waiting for their captain. Isabela simply watched until the ships were barely seen on the horizon, then let out a sigh and she released all the tension she had been holding.

"We have a new job, fellows," she said. Cat could tell she was trying to make it sound like a good thing, but it obviously was not.

"What's our heading, cap'n?" Big Tom asked.

"Orlais," Isabela replied. Big Tom's eyebrow winged up in surprise, and he turned to the crew.

"You heard the Cap'n! Unfurl the sails! Get moving you lazy good fer nothin's!"

Isabela smirked at her first mate, gratitude shinning in her eyes. She gestured for Cat to follow her, and they headed to their cabin.

"Oralis was never my destination, so it will be a short stop to pick something up for Castillon," she told Cat. "However, you are free to make your own decision, and if you want to stay there-"

Cat cut her off with a wave of her hand. "No need," she stated. "Orlais is no place for me. I'll be staying, for now… if that's okay," she added.

Isabela laughed. "You almost had me convinced you were a raider, until that last part," she said. "But you're coming along."

Cat grinned back. "I'm working on it," she said. "So, we just need to get something for Castillon?" She wasn't ready to share that she already knew what it was, and had in fact spent a long time wondering if she should convince Isabela of all the trouble stealing this particular item would cause. In the end, she thought of how different Kirkwall would be if the Qunari never landed there.

Isabela probably would never be in Kirkwall either, and that would be a loss for Hawke and her future companions. She finally decided that if she couldn't decide one way or the other, then the story should remain as it was. Erring on the side of caution, as it were.

"Yes," Isabela replied. "An ancient book, a relic of sorts."

"What would he want with a book? Is it valuable?" she asked.

"To the right people it is," Isabela replied opening the door and letting Cat walk through. She closed the door behind herself, and crossed her arms pinning Cat with a glare. "The crew doesn't need to know the particulars. We will go to Orlais, and we will get the book, and return immediately to the ship. With any luck, no one will even know who took it, and the less people who know, the better."

"All right," Cat replied.

"If I don't do this, we're all dead." Isabela voice was grave, looking at Cat like she expected her to run away.

"Then we'll do it," Cat answered. "I can't just let my friends die."

Isabela looked skeptical. "Friends or no, we'd understand if you want out."

Cat smirked, "I already told you, Isabela. I'm in."

* * *

Duran enjoyed a good party, and always had. The pomp and circumstance before the party however, he dreaded. The long boring speeches, the way the nobles patted each others' backs as if they had won the victory themselves, it bored him to tears. If there was one good thing about being a Grey Warden, it was that he no longer had to participate in the politics of a nation.

In fact, when he had been exiled and sent to the Deep Roads, he had been more upset about what his father thought of him, then about losing his title. Even now, though Bhelen had restored his family name upon him, the best part of returning to Orzammar had been when he had learned of his father's change of heart.

He stood on the balcony, overlooking the ruins of the city around him. It had been a victory, and the newly appointed Queen had given Rendon Howe's lands and titles to the Grey Wardens. He had been named the Warden Commander of Fereldan, and Alistair the Constable of the Grey.

None of these things made him happy however, as one by one, his companions had come to him and given their farewells. They all had important tasks to see to, and he couldn't begrudge them that, he just wasn't ready for them to go.

"Warden?" Duran turned at the voice, and his heart sank and Zevran stepped forward to stand next to him. He turned back around, not wanting to hear another goodbye.

Zevran didn't require an explanation, he felt the same way. He had never a had a friend such as Duran. Not even Taliesen and Rinna had understood him as Duran did.

"I swore you my allegiance, Warden, if you do not want me to go…"

Duran turned, and smirked at his friend. "No way you're going to put this on me, Zev."

"Ah, you see right through me as always, mi amico."

"So, what are your plans?"

Zevran took a moment to situate himself, leaning back on the railing with his arms resting on it at his sides. "The Crows will find me eventually, I think I shall find them first. There are a select few that I wish to speak with… personally."

Duran grinned. "Be sure to say hello for me," he said. "Though you may want to invest in some new armor, yours was fairly tattered if I recall."

Zevran laughed, "True, true! Those ogres pack quite the punch, yes?" He smiled as he thought of new armor. "Perhaps my new armor will help me blend into the shadows. I find the idea of frightening the Crows before I kill them quite delightful."

"Only you, Zev," Duran said with a shake of his head and a laugh. He stood straight and faced his friend. "It has been an honor, and my utmost privilege to have you with me Zevran."

Zevran froze. No one had ever given him such praise before, had ever seen him as anything but the son of a whore. Well, besides Catarina. He had always wondered how she had seen such good in him, and now the Warden had seen it as well. Perhaps… there was something good in him after all.

"The honor, my friend has been mine," he said with a smirk. "Did you hear that Leliana will be returning to the chantry?"

Duran wondered why the subject change, but nodded. "Yes, something about leading an expedition to the temple for Andraste's ashes?"

"Indeed," Zevran nodded. "We agreed to keep in touch, to call on each other if needed. I cannot say where my travels may take me, nor can you. But Leliana will remain with the chantry I have no doubt. I will keep her apprised of my movements, so that if you ever have need of me you can call on me and I will answer."

"Thank you my friend." Duran held out his arm, and Zevran grasped it.

"I did not think to ever have a friend," Zev mused. "Farewell, Warden. Until we meet again."


	16. Chapter 16

According to Isabela's maps, they had been sailing in the Amaranthine Ocean, and had nearly made it to Llomerryn before encountering Castillon. Now they were on their way to Orlais. Isabela had the crew stop for a brief shore leave in Ostwick, for resupplying. It was there that Cat heard that the blight in Fereldan was over, that the Archdemon had been slain by the Grey Wardens. She spent the rest of that day alone, wondering about her friends, and how their travels had to have changed them.

She was almost tempted to have Isabela detour to Amaranthine so that she could try to find Duran again, but decided against it quickly. All of the problems that arose in 'Awakening' were not something she wanted to mess with. As much as she wanted to meet Nathaniel, and Anders, pre-Justice, there was no guarantee that she'd actually be able to help, or even find them before getting herself killed.

Besides all of that, she couldn't just leave Isabela now.

For several days, they brainstormed ways to get in and out of the meeting place with the tome and without being seen. Castillon had been surprisingly informed, knowing not only where the meeting between Empress Celine's ambassador and the Arishok would take place, but when, and those that may also be trying to interfere.

Isabela was most concerned about the Tevinters, insisting that mages would be much harder to deal with than the Qunari or Orlesian soldiers. Both agreed the tome would be easier to steal if they made it there before the Qunari arrived, so they pushed the crew, and sailed from sun up to late into the evening each day.

As they moved closer to Orlais, Cat spent even more time with her crossbow then she did before, to the point that the crew begged her to stop. Though her shots hardly missed the target, the few times she had caused more than one minor panic.

Isabela spent time each day grilling her first and second mates, ensuring that they knew what to do in every possible situation. Her distress was obvious, and the crew became more and more tense, the closer the ship came to its destination.

When they finally docked in Cumberland, Isabela and Cat disembarked, and Isabela turned to Big Tom.

"Aye Cap'n, everyone back by sunset, and ready to depart at a moment's notice after that," he said before she could ask again.

Isabela looked at her first mate, then at her ship and sighed in relief. "Good. You've got the ship Big Tom. I want to know of anyone who doesn't follow orders when I get back."

"Aye Cap'n," he said with a teasing salute and smile, as they both knew he would handle anyone who stepped out of line, if the rest of the crew didn't beat him to it. "Safe harbor," he added and went to give instructions to the crew.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes Captain" Cat replied.

Isabela scoffed at the title. "You haven't called me that since you first came aboard."

"That's true, I hadn't really thought about it" Cat said. "Would you prefer if I did?"

"It doesn't matter to me," was the reply.

"Issy it is then," Cat teased, but when she saw Isabela smile, she decided to stick with her impromptu nickname.

"Well then Kitty," Isabela smirked. "Let's go get us a book."

"Right behind you."

* * *

Duran was seriously regretting his decision to send Alistair to Soldier's Peak. The time they saved in travel did not seem worth it at this point.

"Commander?"

Duran looked at Seneschal Varel questioningly, with no small amount of resignation. Ever since arriving, it had been problem after problem. And once again, Cat's random comments had suddenly made sense, and as Duran found, were endlessly frustrating.

 _"_ _ _Remember to recruit Anders, the mage. And please kill both the Architect and the Mother, though I imagine you'll feel the same once you meet them."__

That was fine and all, but what about everything else?! He now had a Howe, an increasingly drunk Oghren, a hostile elven mage, a member of the Legion of the Dead, and a dead, possessed body following him around, along with Anders. What he wouldn't give for the good old days of Qunari and assassins.

Though, to be fair, it wasn't all bad. Anders was a pretty funny guy, for a human. And Nathaniel was probably a better archer than he was, though he would never admit it out loud. But, where his previous companions had followed his lead, this group insisted on arguing about every course of action.

"Ahem"

Duran looked at Varel again, realizing that he had missed everything the man had said. "I'm sorry Varel, what was that again?"

"Commander! Warden Commander!"

Duran and Varel turned to the soldier running towards them. "Yes?" the Seneschal asked.

"The darkspawn sir, they're marching on Amaranthine!"

"Commander, by the time we marshal our forces, we will be too late to intercept them," Varel said quietly.

"My companions and I can head them off," Duran said quickly as he began gathering his gear. "Get them in here, quickly!"

Duran paced and plotted, gathering anything he or his companions might need in the fight to come. He sent a runner to the stables to have horses saddled. He was about to leave without them when his companions came into the throne room pulling on the last of their armor and weapons.

"Velanna, Oghren, Sigrun, you will remain here, and guard the keep. We have more wardens on the way from Soldier's Peak, and if they arrive before we return, then you can meet up with us. Otherwise, keep watch, and ensure the soldiers do as well."

"But Commander!"

"Yes Commander"

"Thank you Sigrun, and no buts Velanna." He turned to Oghren, "You're suspiciously quiet."

"I'll do my duty, Warden." he said, though he looked somehow pleased and disappointed at the outcome.

"Very well. Anders, Nathaniel, Justice, with me. We're riding to Amaranthine in all haste, the darkspawn are marching on the city. Move out!"

The three of them followed Duran out to the stables, where they mounted their horses, with Duran sat behind Justice. They rode as quickly as they were able, each of them knowing what would await them if they were too late.

After a fierce battle, Duran simply sat on the ground, his head in his hands. It always came back to him, to his decisions. He thought of the Mother, and the army she sent to the keep. His people were probably dead now, because he couldn't turn away from the innocent people in the city. He had left his wardens, his soldiers to die.

"Don't blame yourself Commander, we all wanted to help defend the city," Nathaniel said as he sat beside him. "I'm sorry that we give you such grief. But I wanted you to know, I truly appreciate you bringing me along. I was able to save my sister, and her family. Had we not been here, they would have died today."

"The keep was full of wardens and soldiers, Commander," Anders added sitting on Duran's other side. "These people were defenseless. You made the right call."

"Thank you, but that doesn't make it easier to swallow."

"Perhaps meting justice to those who attacked us will help," Justice spoke up from his vigil by the gate.

"You mean revenge?" Anders asked. "That sounds like a good plan to me."

"Not revenge, justice. We do not kill them to make ourselves feel better, we punish them for their actions."

"Seems the same to me, but whatever works for you," Anders said under his breath.

"Either way, I'm about done with this Mother person, er, thing." Nathaniel said.

"Yes," Duran agreed as he stood. "Let's take care of this once and for all."

* * *

Zevran walked out of the armorer's with a wicked smile on his face, thinking of Eoman. The guildmaster would undoubtedly see the irony in his new armor, and he intended for Eoman Arainai to see him before dying. Killing Eoman was not enough, all of House Arainai would feel terror, pain and betrayal. For Taliesen, for Rinna, and for himself.

He knew that that wouldn't be enough. Others would rise where they had fell, and the Crows wouldn't bat an eye at the loss. No, he needed to do much more than that… but it was a good starting point.

He headed back to his room. There was still time before nightfall, when his work would begin. Time enough to pen a few letters, as he was missing his friends. He smirked, thinking of the odd group that he considered his new family. They were all fighting still, fighting to make their home a better place. How could he do anything less?

* * *

Cat stuck close to Isabela, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Isabela had stolen some simple clothes, and they had styled Cat's hair to appear as an ordinary village woman so that no one would take notice of her, while she would be able to keep a lookout.

"I don't understand why I can't simply go inside the chantry," Cat said quietly. "I would be able to create a distraction if something were to happen."

"And you'd be stuck in there for hours," Isabela replied. "Have you never been to a chantry before?" she asked with a glance at Cat. "The initiates swarm you, preaching at you as if __their__ afterlife depended on it. Trying to make a getaway would cause more attention than any distraction could."

Cat nodded. Isabela had explained it before, but she wanted to try once more. She hated that everything was on Isabela's shoulders, but it seemed the captain preferred it that way. "Can you give me the signal again?" she asked, and Isabela gave a bird-like whistle.

"And yours?" Isabela asked. Then laughed as Cat made a cooing sound, that sounded more like a growl.

Cat grimaced. Why did her dove impression sound like a wookie? "Well, at least you won't mistake it for anything else," she said.

"That's the truth," Isabela said with a smirk. They came to the Chantry grounds, and clasped arms briefly before splitting up. Isabela headed to the back of the building and Cat found a tree to climb on the side that gave her a view of the entrance. They were as ready as they would ever be.

* * *

Cat remained alert, trying to stretch without alerting others to her presence. Her limbs were starting to feel numb, but she ordered herself to ignore the feeling. Isabela had warned her that it may take hours before she emerged, depending on what she found inside.

She saw a group of people enter the chantry, taking note of their expensive looking dress. It was difficult to tell, as they could represent either party of the transfer, but she was sure they were not simply residents of the city. She debated with herself, then gave her "wookie" call.

She waited, worried. After a few minutes she heard the whistle, and ensuring that no one would notice, climbed out of the tree and began walking back towards the docks. Isabela said she would catch up to Cat in town, as she didn't want Cat to be incriminated in the theft.

Cat however, couldn't keep walking. She made it to the nearest building, then turned the corner of it, and looked back to watch for her friend.

It didn't take long, though she didn't see Isabela. The same group she had seen enter the Chantry, quickly exited, looking in every direction.

"Raider Queen! I know you are out there! Give me the tome!" The man who appeared to be in charge shouted, and they all continued to search the area. Cat ducked back behind the building. Isabela would kill her if she was seen. She'd have to go around the opposite side of the building and make her way back to the docks quickly.

"Tevinters!" The shout rang out from the direction of the town, and Cat froze as several Qunari soldiers marched towards the chantry. "Where is the tome? You will pay for this with your lives!" The demands came fast and harsh, each faction yelling at the other. Cat heard the ring of weapons being unsheathed, and knew it was time for her to move.

She walked quickly, looking back with a fearful expression on her face several times. Partly because she was nervous, but also to help her blend in with the other townspeople. She looked ahead for groups of people to join, then darting to the next. She had no idea where Isabela was, but her best bet was to make it to the Siren's Call as fast as she could without being noticed.

She reached the docks, but froze as she saw all the ships in the harbor. The huge dreadnought was daunting, and she couldn't guess at the number of Qunari she saw on the deck, let alone below.

"There you are, you tricky minx!"

Cat gasped, as she was pushed against the wall, and Isabela's hand covered her mouth before she could shout. The look in her eyes was grave, and she lowered her hand while she whispered hasty instructions.

"I'm the pirate, you're my wench. We're going aboard so you can _ _inspect my ship,__ got it?"

With that she said loudly, "Of course you can get a tour of the ship sweetness." She put her face to Cat's neck, and reached up to pull her hair down. _"_ _ _You're going to have to look more the part, Kitty,"__ she whispered. "Let's go!"

Cat quickly reached up and adjusted her clothing, rolling the top of her pants down and her shirt up to reveal her stomach, and pulled the buttons at the top to show her cleavage. With her hair somewhat pulled out of her braid, she was sure she looked a mess, but it undoubtedly helped to hide her face. If anyone took notice of her, they would simply remember the skin she showed, rather than who she was.

They walked to the ship as if they didn't have a care, Cat tucked under Isabela's arm and Isabela's hand on her back, with a few gropes here and there. Cat giggled and stayed glued to her, the tome hidden between them, hoping that it wouldn't fall and give them away.

As they boarded, Isabela called out to the crew. "Set sail boys, I got what I came for!" Then turned her face to Cat again, her hand rubbing her back.

 _"_ _ _Keep it up Kitty,"__ she whispered in her ear. _"_ _ _We've almost made it."__

Cat tried to keep up the act, though Isabela was the only reason she was successful. She guided Cat to the captain's cabin, and gave her crew a wink then shut the door at their cheering and laughter.

Once inside, they separated, each trying to calm their racing hearts. Isabela looked up with a glare. "I'm not going to ask why you arrived at the docks after I did, but you're lucky. I was about to leave without you."

Cat swallowed as her throat went dry. "I'm sorry-"

Isabela interrupted her with a raised hand. "You don't follow the plan, you deserve it. Remember that."

Cat looked at the floor, reaching up to fix her clothes. She wasn't sure how to respond.

She looked back up to see Isabela grinning at a large book in her hands.

"We did it, I can't believe it."

"You did it, Captain."

"Captain, huh?" She smirked at Cat, and softened into a genuine smile. She gave her arm a pat as she took the tome to her desk and set it inside a large lock box. "No swimming tomorrow," she said. "We're going to put as much distance between this place as we can." Weary from their excursion, both women went to their beds and flopped down to rest.

"Cap 'n? We've got trouble," Big Tom's voice came through from outside the door a few hours later. Cat sat up as Isabela rose and strode over to open the door.

"What is it?" she asked.

He pointed back Westward. "We're being followed."

Cat followed them outside as Isabela swore. She looked out at the water, seeing dozens of specks that were ships behind them, including a large one that must be the dreadnought. True they had a lead, but she could see the dreadnought cutting through the water, and cutting that lead with each passing minute.

"They'll be within cannon range in about thirty minutes or so Cap'n" Tom stated, causing Isabela's eyes to widen.

"We can't fight against that thing," she muttered to herself.

"Cap'n?"

Isabela walked away, moving around the ship, taking in everything around her. She walked over to the navigator's table, and studied the maps, then began pacing in front of the table, occasionally glancing back at the ships.

"Continue on your current heading," she finally said. Big Tom looked concerned, and hesitantly looked forward, then back at the ships. "Speak your mind Big Tom," Isabela said.

"Cap'n, the clouds to the East… there's a large storm." Cat looked where he pointed, and saw a bolt of lightning crash down from black clouds far ahead of them.

Isabela stood with her arms crossed. She nodded as he spoke, then replied. "We cannot outrun them Tom, that storm is our only chance."

Big Tom stared for a moment, then answered. "Aye Cap'n." He turned and yelled instructions to the crew. Several men ran around to secure rigging and crates, both on deck and below.

Isabela turned and looked at Cat. "Get ready Cat," she said solemnly. "We'll reach that storm in about thirty minutes. Anything can happen, but we should prepare for the worst."

"Aye Captain," Cat replied.

* * *

Alistair glanced around as he and his recruits rode into Vigil's Keep… or what was left of it. They had heard about the battle that was fought here at the last homestead, and had hurriedly pushed on. It wasn't quite as bad as he had feared, and it seemed that rebuilding had already begun.

Duran came out to greet him, with a dark haired man at his side. Dismounting, Alistair came forward and clasped arms with him, and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.

"I hear you had all the fun while I spent the last several weeks on a horse," he gave Duran his best grimace, gaining a laugh in return.

"Alistair, this is Nathaniel, one of our newest brothers in arms. Nathaniel, this is Alistair, Fereldan's Constable of the Grey."

"Ugh. Duran, you know I despise titles," Alistair complained as Nathaniel stood at attention and gave him a salute. "At ease Nathaniel, here we prefer more of a family, and less of rank and file." He turned back to Duran with a smirk. " _ _Warden Commander,__ these are recruits I've managed to find in my travels," he said, gesturing to the dozen men behind him.

"I'm am sorry to also bring bad news," he continued. "On our way here, we came across a site of a massacre. There were several bodies clothed in Warden heraldry, so we brought them along."

Duran and Nathaniel moved quickly to the wagon that Alistair pointed at. Lifting the canvas, they studied the faces of the men that had been missing for the past week.

"Are they ours?" Alistair asked.

"Yes," Duran replied. "Was this all of them?"

"I saw no signs of any others," Alistair replied with confusion. "Why do you ask?"

"Nathaniel?" Duran questioned, hoping he was incorrect.

"They are not here. There is no sign of either Justice or Anders, Commander," Nathaniel reported.


	17. Chapter 17

Later on, Cat would tell many stories about the storm they were in, but none of them ever came close to the truth. The storm was easily the worst she had ever experienced, and the word 'storm' was not enough to describe the huge gales of wind, choppy waves, and water that ran across the deck with every tilt of the ship.

Added to that, the Siren's call was missing huge chunks of her deck, her rigging, and her crew. The Qunari dreadnought was the only ship to have followed them into the storm, and just as they entered the chaos, they sustained heavy damage from cannon fire.

The Qunari obviously weren't trying to sink them, otherwise they would have had no chance of survival. In order to reclaim their tome in the inclimate weather, they had to catch the Siren's Call, not destroy it. However, as long as they were still sailing, cannon fire was considered a 'warning shot'.

The persistent attacks were taking their toll on the damaged ship, and its crew. Smoke billowed from the fires that seemed to spotaneously erupt around the ship, hindering visibility, and breathable air. Cat could hear the coughing of her companions, though she could not see them.

"Land! Land ho!"

Cat looked around, looking for a break in the smoke and water, trying to find anyone. She heard the boom again of the cannon, and moved as quickly as she could to what she thought was the mast. She found herself outside the captain's cabin, and making a quick decision, felt around to find the door and rushed inside.

Her eyes watering, she took a moment before she could see, and noticed Isabela putting the lock box inside a pack and putting it on her shoulders. She looked up, noticing Cat.

"Grab anything you can't leave behind! We're angling for the shore and we'll have to run for it!" she yelled to Cat above the sounds of storm and battle.

Cat nodded, grabbing the pack that she had put together earlier. She didn't have much she couldn't leave, but there were a few things from friends, as well as some clothes, what little money she had, and weapons in her bag. Surviving this just to starve to death made no sense to her.

The two women headed back out of the cabin, and looked around the deck as best they could. They began inching in the direction of the bow, avoiding holes in the deck, and checking the men they found laying down. Cat found she couldn't find words to say, as they found no one alive.

Suddenly the Siren's Call lurched to the side with a large cracking sound.

"Move!" Isabela yelled, pulling Cat along, and barely avoiding the damage as a large crack made its way across the deck, and the the ship began to separate into two pieces. Isabela and Cat made it to the railing, and looked in horror at the large rock they were about to crash into.

"Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" Isabela dragged Cat along the railing as she screamed the warning out. Cat joined her, hearing the sound of pounding feet, yelling and screaming, and felt confident that some of the crew had heard them.

"You saw the rock?" Isabela yelled in Cat's face, holding her shoulders to get her attention. Cat nodded in exaggerated motions so that she was understood. Isabela leaned closer so she didn't have to yell as loud. "Head that way towards the shore! If we get separated we'll meet at the shore!"

Before Cat could nod again, Isabela had taken her hand and pulled Cat with her as she jumped off the side of the ship into the churning water.

Cat felt the embrace of the water as a punch, and struggled upwards to breathe. She had lost her grip on Isabela as soon as they hit the water, and as her head popped above the water, she gulped in air and screamed her name.

The waves overpowered her and she found herself without air underwater again, and pushed with all her strength up, up to the sky. Everything was dark, and she had no idea if she was swimming in the right direction, it was all she could do to continue to move. She focused on making it back up to the surface each time she was submerged.

It felt like and infinite amount of time passed when she felt her leg brush something. She took as much air as she could before she was submerged again, and reached down.

Her hands grabbed sand, and she started clawing with her hands, dragging herself underwater towards the shore. Once she came back up for air, Cat pushed her legs down, and was elated that she was able to stand. Her strength was waning, and she pushed forward, knowing she had to make it to shore, had to hide.

Cat almost made it out of the water before her legs gave out, and she fell into the shallows. She pushed up to sit, panting and struggling to stay upright, her limbs giving up and she sat in the water, unable to do anything else.

She looked up at the light she noticed, and saw that the Siren's Call was fully ablaze now, giving some visibility to her, but covering the sky behind it in thick clouds of smoke. She forced herself to look around, eventually finding what looked like a cave.

Cat didn't think it was possible for her to stand, but after yelling at herself enough, she was able to make her way to the cave. She made it perhaps a few feet inside before she collapsed again, unable to keep going. She gave up her fight, and closed her eyes.

* * *

Quite frankly, Cat was surprised to see the cave walls when she finally opened her eyes. Light was streaming in, and she squinted until her eyes adjusted. She continued to lay where she was, and eventually gave herself to the count of three to move.

 _ _One…two…three.__

Nothing happened, and Cat didn't feel bad about it either. After a few more counts to three, Cat was able to roll herself over, and up to her knees. A sharp pain on her thigh made her look down. Seeing the tear in her pants, and the dried blood on her clothes, she poked around the wound trying to determine the severity. It stayed closed, and she took that for a good sign, and decided to continue. She then made it to her feet with the help of the cave walls.

She slowly made her way to the entrance, and peeked out, shading her eyes from the sunlight.

It looked somehow familiar, and she assumed that she was somewhere on the Wounded Coast. She looked out to the water, unable to find the wreckage of the Siren's Call, but was shocked to see the wreck of the dreadnought.

She had always assumed that the Qunari used it as an excuse to stay in Kirkwall to find the thief of their relic, but there was no mistaking that their ship was wrecked. It looked like it was wrapped around one of the huge boulders that stood up from the water, and it was more than halfway underwater. She figured it was probably sitting on the seabed.

She looked around the shoreline. She didn't see anyone, no Qunari, no pirates, no Isabela. If anyone was nearby however, calling out for the captain could bring her unwanted attention.

Decision made, Cat started to walk, well limp really, keeping to whatever hiding spots she could find and making her warped bird call every few minutes. She took rests when she needed, but continued on. The shoreline soon became a path, and she made her onto it.

Cat continued to walk, her wound burning, but she ignored it and eventually forgot about it. She continued to try her bird call, knowing how awful it sounded, since she couldn't whistle. She cheered herself up with the knowledge that Isabela could never mistake it for a real bird.

She began to hear the noises of the city, though they weren't loud, but it served to give her the energy to continue. As she got closer, she could see she was nearing the docks. She grew concerned as she couldn't see any Qunari. __Where could hundreds of soldiers be? Didn't the city give them space here in the docks? s__ he asked herself.

She heard a noise to her left, and spun. A grin spread across her face as she saw Isabela coming towards her.

"Issy, you're all right," she said, relief evident in her voice.

"And you're the luckiest girl in Thedas," Isabela replied. "I think I need to keep you around and maybe that luck will rub off on me."

"Lucky? Are you serious?" Cat gestured to herself, as she looked exactly like she had slept in a cave, where Isabela looked about the same, though a little tired- and without a pack.

"I've been hiding here for hours," Isabela explained. "because the Qunari were here. Then, they all move into the city, and I'm getting ready to sneak in when I hear that noise you call a bird call. How else would you describe it?" she asked Cat with a smirk.

"Let's just get in there, while we can," Cat grumbled.

"All right Kitty, no need to be sour." They moved towards the docks and Isabela explained to Cat where they were headed, so they could act as if they belonged there. In the middle of explaining, Isabela stopped.

"See that man there, the bald one?"

"Yes…?"

"I know him. He can help us," Isabela said. "New plan!" She said energetically, pulling Cat along at a faster pace. "See what I mean, lucky!"

* * *

Isabela's friend was a former raider named Martin, and Cat felt bad for not having recognized him. The huge scar across his throat was not something she thought she would ever be able to forget.

Martin was more than willing to help them, in exchange for help in return. He had sunk all the money he had in bringing poisons to Kirkwall to resell, and now it had been stolen. Isabela promised assistance, though she did say it may take some time.

Martin took them to Lowtown, or as Cat thought, the poor side of town. He took them to a shady looking man, who then escorted them to a one room hovel just outside the alienage. Martin paid him for three days stay, and Cat and Isabela assured him they would pay him from that point on.

Martin told them he was staying at a tavern called The Hanged Man, a few streets over, and asked that they come to him as soon as they had any information on his cargo. Then he left, leaving the women alone to assess their new situation.

"Shall we explore?" Isabela asked.

Cat gave Isabela an answer that needed no words. She cocked her hip, put her hand on her waist and gave her a big smirk.

* * *

Isabela woke the next morning, and dressed, deciding to return back to Cat. She would definitely return however, the Blooming Rose was her new favorite place! She walked along in the early morning light, thinking. She knew she should talk to Cat about the relic, how it was gone when she had finally come to, but she just couldn't.

 _"_ _ _Besides,"__ she thought. " _ _Cat always seems to understand, even when I don't explain things. It's what I like most about her."__

Isabela knew that they were different. Cat tried to make something of herself, always thinking ahead and planning new ways to be better. Isabela didn't think past the moment, and simply took what she wanted when she wanted. But, Cat never judged her, and that meant everything.

So, Isabela would have to keep some things from Cat. But, it would mean that Cat wasn't involved, and safe, just as she had promised Zevran. She may be a good for nothing pirate, but she kept her promises to friends.

Isabela stopped at a market stall, buying a few things for breakfast with the money she had 'found' lying in some nobleman's pocket last night. She knew Cat would be hungry, as she hadn't eaten anything yesterday. She probably should have forced her to eat sooner, but Cat had told her about the Rose, and well…

Isabela walked into their lovely abode, and turned to the cot on the right. Cat was still asleep, though she wasn't sleeping peacefully. She was tossing and turning, and groaning. Isabela put her packages down and went to her side, grabbing her shoulder, and shaking her awake.

Cat mumbled something, and Isabela tried again. Cat opened her eyes slowly.

"Issy?"

"Hey Kitty, you don't look so good."

"Feel awful, it's burning."

"What's burning?"

"My leg, it's on fire."

"Show me," Isabela demanded, and was shocked to see the infected cut on Cat's thigh. It was disgusting, mottled and red with something oozing out of it. She looked away before she retched.

"We need to get you to a healer Cat" she said seriously. "I'll go ask around, maybe there's one in the alienage."

"No"

"Cat, you have to see a healer."

"I know" she mumbled, then continued a little clearer. "I heard something yesterday, about a healer. A clinic, in the under city,"

"Darktown? All right then, let's go. Can you make it?"

Cat smirked as best she could, though to Isabela, it was more of a grimace.

"Of course I can."

It took longer than either of them had planned, though they were only stopped once by thugs trying to rob them. They tried asking directions, without luck, and finally came upon the clinic with the lit lantern hanging outside. At that point, Cat's leg had already given out, and Isabela had her arm strung over her shoulders, carrying most of her weight.

Isabela opened the door and with difficulty dragged Cat inside. Neither of them had truly recovered from their ordeal, and it was made obvious by their hike through Darktown.

"Hello? I need a healer!" Isabela called as they struggled inside.

"I'm here, what's the problem?" A blonde man came up and helped her get Cat to a cot. Cat sat, then hissed in pain as Isabela brought her legs up to lay on the cot.

Isabela grabbed for the top of Cat's pants, and Cat batted her hands away. She went again, and the two of them wrestled for a moment, much to the man's amusement.

"Stop it!"

"He needs to see the wound, so the pants have to go!"

"If it helps," he said calmly. "I am a healer, and I will need to see the wound in order to help. Nothing more."

Cat looked up at Anders. He seemed tired, but more healthy than she was expecting. Perhaps he had been getting enough to eat so far. And he really was wearing feathers as a jacket. And the thought of taking her pants off made her cringe.

"I can get a blanket for you, and turn my back until you are ready?" he asked, and she nodded. His bedside manner was spot on, and she found herself relaxing. Her previous doctors had all been old men or women, not a man slightly older than herself who looked like he could be a rock star. The shoulder length hair and the stubble really worked for him, and the earring was just icing on the top.

He did just as he said, and handed her a lap blanket and turned away. She gestured to Isabela to help her, and she lifted her hips off the table as Isabela gently removed her pants.

"This wasn't how I thought I'd finally get your pants off Kitty," Isabela said with a wink and Cat rolled her eyes. She heard Anders stifling a cough, and gave Isabela a glare. She replied with a laugh, and turned Anders around with a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think I can look at it another time. I'll come back in awhile to escort her back." With that, she strode out of the clinic, leaving Cat alone… with Anders.

"Well," he said. "Let's see this… oh." He peered at her thigh, bringing his hands up to turn her leg. "It looks infected. How long ago did this happen?"

"Um, two days ago?"

"And how did you get it?"

"I'm not exactly sure."

His eyebrow winged up in question. "Okay, then where were you when it happened?"

"Out by the coast. I noticed it after it had already congealed. It didn't reopen when I moved around, so I thought it was okay. There's probably something in it that's festering."

Cat wasn't sure why, but Anders was giving her a strange look. "That sounds probable," he replied. "We're going to have to open it to clean it out. It may sting a bit."

Cat readied herself. She wasn't a fan of pain, but her tolerance was fairly high. Anders went to fetch some cloth and coming back, handed it to her. He stood over her, with his hands out above her leg. His hands began glowing, a blue tint to the glow, and he slowly moved them down and out, coming close but never actually touching her.

She understood the cloth, as the wound began to weep. First pus, then blood came out slowly and she used the cloth to wipe it up. This continued for a few minutes, and with each cleaning, she had more things on the cloth. Grit, dirt and even a thread also came up and she realized that in her haste, she had left a dirty wound to heal.

After he was satisfied, his magic changed, though it looked the same, she could feel her leg tingling, and watched in fascination as the wound was closed.

"It may still be tender for a day or two, so you should keep off it if possible." Cat looked up at him, awe on her face. He smiled at her, and she was reminded of Wynne. She had smiled at Cat like that as well, every time she had used her magic in front of Cat.

"Thank you Anders," Cat said quietly.

Anders stiffened, and he looked at her suspiciously. "How do you know my name?" he asked. She looked back at him, to see him holding a staff, his hand outstretched. Cat froze. It was akin to having a gun pointed at you, and it frightened her.

"Um, the store keeper, Lirene? That's how I heard about the clinic." She said quickly, doubting that it would work.

He relaxed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I'll have to talk with her about that, I'd rather keep myself anonymous."

Cat nodded, and worked on putting her pants back on under the blanket. She finally gave up and swinging her legs over, stood up. "I'm sorry, I don't have any money," she said yanking them back up.

He looked up to her. "It's fine, I'm just glad I could help."

"No" she said, and he looked surprised. "It's not fine. You helped me, and you didn't have to." She glanced around, noticing a dozen things that he needed. "I'll get paid soon," she lied. "And I'll pay you double since I couldn't pay today."

"Really, there's no need-"

"There is every need" she interrupted firmly. With a pause, she decided it was time to go. "Thanks again, uh, sir." She got a confused look and determined to find out how to address others here, or she would get herself into trouble. She slammed her feet in her boots and headed out the door before he could say more.


	18. Chapter 18

To be honest, Cat hadn't thought that it would work. She had gone with Isabela a few times into the Blooming Rose, and while it was uncomfortable to be constantly offered a job there, she had met a lot of fun people.

She supposed it had to take a special kind of person to not only sell themselves, but to keep a sense of humor about it. Cat knew she could never do it, and she admired a few of those that she had met.

It had started when some of them would join Cat and Isabela at their table in the common room, enjoying a moment of peace and drink before being called back to work. She heard much more than she wanted to about some of the people in the room, but she had also heard complaints about certain aspects of the job, including the state of their rooms.

It hadn't taken long for Cat to pitch a job idea to Madam Lisene, though she hadn't had high hopes. But, Lisene cared a lot for the health and well being of her people, which had been a surprise, but had made sense later once she thought about it. Her people were her livelihood, and some had probably been with her for years.

So now, she was the unofficial caretaker, because she refused to be called a maid, but basically she came in and cleaned up after the party had died down. She had much higher standards then the previous people, and the employees had convinced Lisene to keep Cat after only two days into her trial period. After a week, Cat realized that this was a great job. Only a few hours a night, and she was paid better than most refugees were faring. Plus, Isabela was happier as she was no longer kicked out when she was waiting for Cat.

Isabela continued to pickpocket for her share of the expenses. She would often disappear during the day, but would inevitably show up to walk Cat either to or from work. Some nights she would stay in the Rose longer than Cat would.

Cat also got a taste of Isabela's flair for story telling. Each day someone would ask about her "noble husband who abandoned her" or her "family that was wiped out by the blight". Once she was startled by a proposition from an elf, saying he could help her forget her elven lover that had used her and left her stranded in Ferelden.

Trying to explain the truth had never worked, and Cat finally decided to just go with it. No one cared to know the true story anyhow, and it became easier to just ignore what others thought.

It was a stroke of genius one day when she denied the noble husband and told a worker named Idunna that she was abandoned and simply trying to make something of herself. After that, Idunna spent her free time helping Cat with learning everything she needed to know about society. What to address others, when to use serah or messere, what areas to avoid in order to dodge the coterie or templars. Idunna was a wealth of knowledge, and Cat was surprised but happy that they quickly became friends.

* * *

A few days after that, Cat had gone back to Anders' clinic and given him the money she had promised. He had gaped at her, not expecting her to return. He even tried to refuse the money, saying that he couldn't take stolen money.

"It's not stolen, I earned it," she told him, insulted. "I have a job, I don't need to steal."

"You have a job?" he asked, surprised yet again.

"Yes. I work at the Rose," she said, taking his hand, and placing the money in it. He was looking at her wide eyed, and it was a little unnerving.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Why?" she asked. "It's a good place and the people are nice. It could be worse." She looked around and then focused back on him. "Oh, and I wanted to get something for a friend, something to help with, um… feeling clean, between customers, or something."

He looked at her, seeing the blooming blush on her cheeks. He felt sorrow at the thought of this innocent girl forced to sell herself at the Rose, but understood the lure of the money she would undoubtedly be making. She probably had people lining up to be with her.

"I'm sure I can get you something, but it will take an hour or so. Did you want to wait?"

"I have a bit more shopping to do, but I can come back in about an hour?"

"That's fine," he replied.

Cat headed back up to Lowtown. She wasn't sure why, but she always seemed to make Anders sad. __Maybe it was just his situation? Perhaps he hadn't been eating?__ She gave it some thought and headed towards Lirene's store. Anders obviously didn't like her to bring money herself, and maybe he didn't like accepting charity. But, if she donated through Lirene, he wouldn't know where it came from, and might accept it.

Cat spent most of an hour with Lirene, first convincing her of her intentions, then ensuring they had an agreement. Lirene wasn't keen on being told where donations would go, but Cat bypassed that by promising to purchase the goods she needed at her store. In return, everything that she brought specifically for the clinic would make its way to Anders as his supplies.

She returned to the clinic to pick up her order, and pay the healer for his work. He handed her a crate full of bottles, with written instructions for their uses.

"This is much more than I asked for, did I pay enough?" she asked him.

"Oh yes, this is more than enough. Most of these tonics use simple ingredients," he replied. "Please, just promise me you'll be careful."

Cat looked at the box and nodded. "I'll be sure to read the instructions carefully."

"That's not exactly what I -"

Anders was interrupted as a couple came bursting in, the man carrying a young child that looked unconscious. Anders was in healer mode, and Cat was forgotten, so she slipped out the door without another word.

Later that night, as she was changing bed linens, Idunna walked into the room, bathed and ready for sleep. Cat pointed out the crate of tonics, and Idunna gleefully browsed through them, before standing behind Cat and giving her a hug.

"Thank you so much! I hope you don't mind if I share them, everyone will want some!"

"Not at all, the healer said the ingredients were fairly simple, so we can always order more," Cat replied. "just let me know when we are running low."

* * *

Isabela sauntered into the Rose, her thoughts dismal. __This chase was turning up nothing! There isn't one clue as to who took the relic, and those Qunari aren't leaving either.__

She had hired a few local men that claimed they could find anything, but so far there was nothing to find. It was aggravating, and she was about fed up. She walked over to the bar, and was told that Cat was almost done.

She smirked to herself, everyone here knew that she was looking out for Cat. She hoped that that wouldn't come back to bite her.

"Hey Issy," Cat said as she walked up behind her. "missed you earlier."

"Sorry Kitty, business."

"Right."

Isabela winced, though Cat had been nothing but trusting, she still felt guilty that she hadn't shared what was happening.

"Shall we go, or are you staying?" Cat asked.

"Not this time, let's go."

The two women walked out of the Rose together, not worried at all of the hour. Most were in bed, and the sun was getting ready to rise.

"Can you believe about the Chantry?" Cat said, and Isabela sent her a questioning glance. "Did you not hear?" she asked.

"No," was the reply. "But you know how I don't care a fig about the chantry."

"No, no" Cat laughed. "Apparently there was a fight in the chantry last night."

"Oh really? Sister so-and-so borrowed robes without permission? Was there slapping?"

Cat laughed loudly, before placing her hand over her mouth to stay quiet. "No silly, an actual fight, though I would go to the chantry if there were slapping fights." They grinned at each other.

"So what happened?"

"Well, there was some sort of ruckus, but not much is known. Everyone is saying it was mages, as this morning there was a mage and several templars found dead."

"Hmm, definitely sounds like mages," Isabela shook her head as they rounded a turn that took them from Hightown into Lowtown. "The templars are sure to crack down on the mages again."

"Yeah, Idunna was really worried." Cat lowered her voice. "She has friends that are apostates." No matter the hour, ears were everywhere.

"Well, good thing we don't have any mages for friends," Isabela spoke up. She gave Cat a wink, and they chuckled together.

* * *

Cat headed back to Lirene's shop. Isabela hated coming in here, as it reminded her of how bad life could get, so they agreed to meet up later for a late lunch. Cat had smirked and said, "That's Issy speak for drinking," to which Isabela replied, "Of course it is!".

" 'ello Miss Katrina!"

Cat turned to Ellen, a young girl that was helping buy food for her family by keeping Lirene's shop clean.

"Hello Ellen, and didn't I tell you to call me Cat?" she said with a smile.

"Mama told me I shouldn't," was the reply.

"Well, you tell your mama that I absolutely insist!" Cat said with a pat on the girls arm. She couldn't hear her name wrong anymore, anyway.

Cat walked over to Lirene, handing a pouch of coins to the shop keep, and hearing about the last delivery of supplies to the clinic.

"He is really curious about these supplies, but more grateful really. He said to tell those that donate about how many people he is able to help. I didn't tell him that all the donations are from one person."

"Thank you Lirene. He seems to accept if it is donations, but not when I just try to give him money," she said with a smile. "I really appreciate you being a go between."

"I enjoy it," she replied. "I'm able to send people to him without worry now, though there have been some lately that don't seem to need a healer. I worry about the templars finding him."

Cat thought back to the news of dead templars in the chantry. She knew it meant that Anders had met Hawke, but didn't realize that meant Lirene had met them as well. And… she was curious.

"What do you mean?" Cat asked, trying to seem nonchalant.

"A few days ago, a group that looked like fighters came in looking for him," Lirene said in a low voice. "They were quite insistent in finding him."

"And?" Cat asked.

"And… I told them. They promised they didn't want to hurt him. I guess I just assumed that they had a friend that was wounded. I hope I didn't cause him trouble."

"I'm sure you didn't Lirene." Cat said soothingly. "He's strong, and can take of himself, he's a Grey Warden after all.

"He told you too?" Lirene looked shockingly at Cat.

"Well, sort of. I kind of overheard it…" Cat had to admit, she was getting better at lying, as Lirene nodded. "I'd better head out. Thanks again Lirene, I'll see you next week?" She stayed long enough to see her nod, then quickly headed out of the store.

Cat headed towards the market stalls. She knew she wouldn't get food once she met up with Isabela, and decided to buy something before meeting her. She headed for her favorite stall, full of pastries.

Cat chose a couple of meat pies, which were pretty much like chicken pot pies back home. On impulse she added a couple of scones, which made her smile like a kid at Christmas. She didn't usually let herself indulge, as she was determined to get out of the hovel they were living in.

Cat walked out of the marketplace and towards the stairs. She looked up and saw a group of people heading towards her, though they were talking among themselves. Cat's eyes widened as she recognized them, and as she climbed the stairs, she made her way to the side to be further away.

There was Aveline, a tall red head in a guard's uniform. Varric, the dwarf with no beard, and they were not kidding about chest hair, she could see it from here. Two men that had to be Carver and… Hawke. Cat wondered what his first name was, even as she took in the handle behind his back.

It could be for a sword, she knew, but the man wasn't wearing armor. A few pieces here and there to protect vital organs, sure, but nowhere near what Aveline was wearing. He also looked a lot like Carver, but with a squarer jaw, and what looked like a beard growing in. Plenty of stubble, and she had to admit, it was appealing on him.

She continued walking, avoiding looking at them again, making her way up to meet with Isabela. Since she didn't look, she didn't notice the speculative looks that she received in return. Appreciative looks from the the two men, and a curious look from a dwarf.

* * *

"Martin asked me to meet him, and I have some business there later, so we'll just drink there."

"The Hanged Man? Isabela are you sure? I've heard it's a dive."

"I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds like my kind of place. Let's go."

Cat wanted to continue to protest, though she knew it would only make Isabela want to go more. So she simply grumbled as she followed her friend.

"Don't be salty, Cat," Isabela laughed. Ever since hearing it from Cat, it had become her favorite play on words. Well, after any innuendo ever, anyway.

Cat didn't answer, as she was staring at Isabela. She came to a stop and continued to stare, making Isabela eye her oddly. There was something off.

"What's wrong?" Cat asked.

"What? Nothing."

"Issy… what's wrong?"

Isabela heaved a sigh, and walked over to a crate to sit. "Can't ever get past you, can I?"

"I should hope you wouldn't want to."

Isabela sighed again, squashing the guilty feeling that was springing up. "When we split up earlier, I ran into an old acquaintance. An enforcer for Castillon named Hayder."

Cat reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Castillon wants the relic, and I… I don't have it. I went ahead and set up a duel with Hayder for tonight, but… I don't think he'll honor it. More than likely, he'll have several people with him, and I'll be killed, or worse."

"So, what's the plan?" Isabela looked up at Cat and saw she was serious.

"I'll never understand why you stay by me."

"And I'll never understand why you took me on your ship. Guess we're even."

"I thought perhaps you could have your crossbow with you, and help keep them honest."

Cat thought it was a sound plan, but if there were more than a few, it could be problematic. "I'd be happy to, though we may want to think of enlisting more help. We don't know how many we're up against, so, better safe than sorry."

"In most cases, I'd think sorry was more fun, but not this time. You're probably right." Isabela stood. "We'll keep a look out, but I don't want to take along just anyone." She pulled on Cat's hand and got her standing. "Come on, I really need a drink now."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or followed the story! I sincerely appreciate it!

* * *

Isabela guided Cat to a table in the corner, and took the seat facing out into the room. The waitress came up and Cat ordered Isabela a bottle of the lower quality liquor.

"One good thing about you Issy, you're not picky about what you drink," Cat teased.

"Too true Kitty, being drunk is the fun part, besides, after the first few shots I can't taste anything."

They laughed, and Cat unwrapped her food packages, giving one of the meat pies to Isabela, and ignoring the look she received.

"You know, I'm supposed to take care of you, not the other way around."

Cat ignored the comment, and started to eat her lunch. Isabela joined in, though she looked contemplative.

"I think your idea was a good one," Isabela finally said. "I think I'll have others help me tonight, and you can sit this one out."

"Wut?" Cat asked, mouth full of food.

"I promised to keep you safe, and I can't do that if I'm dead," Isabela said then added, "or if you are."

Cat swallowed her food, and tried to swallow her frustration with it. "You know, it's really annoying" she said, heating up as she spoke, "having everyone think I need protecting all the time. What were all the lessons for, if you're still protecting me?"

"In case something happens and I can't be there," Isabela replied.

Cat glared sullenly. "I'm surprised you let me walk around town or stay at the Rose by myself," she said. Her gaze turned suspicious as Isabela looked uncomfortable.

Isabela suddenly stood. "There are the fellows I was looking for, this will only take a minute," she said as three men walked up to the bar.

"Famous last words," Cat replied as Isabela stood to greet them. Cat finished her meal and her dessert, as Isabela found out that Lucky and his friends had found nothing about the relic. He then demanded payment for their services to which she scoffed and refused. When things escalated, Cat continued to sit there, as Isabela fought off the three men, and sent them running.

"A fight breaks out, and you just sit there? Thought I trained you better than that," Isabela said as she sat back down.

"Well, I figured you wanted me to stay safe, so I let you handle it," Cat said sourly.

Isabela laughed. She really enjoyed Cat when she was pissy. "Kitty, don't be like that, I just don't know what I'd do without you."

"Bring someone home every night no doubt" Cat replied with a deadpan expression.

Isabela's laughter rang out again. "You know me so well!"

Isabela leaned closer, and said quietly. "There's a group watching us, several men, a dwarf and a woman."

Cat hesitated, as she was hoping to not be a part of this meeting. She sighed and replied, "You may as well invite them over. Perhaps they'll be the help we're looking for."

Isabela waved them over, and Hawke sauntered up. "That was quite the show. Would you care to join us?"

Isabela rose immediately grabbing her bottle, though she didn't walk over until Cat followed. Cat looked at the group sitting at the table, and chose the seat farthest from Varric, which put her next to Aveline and across from Anders.

"It's you!" Anders looked at her in surprise and with a smile, and the rest of the group turned to look at them.

"Yes, it's me," she replied, and her cheeks heated. __Why was she blushing?__ "Anders helped heal a nasty wound I had a couple of weeks ago," she said louder to address the group.

"I didn't even recognize you," Isabela said to Anders with a smirk, then proceeded into introductions for herself. Cat coughed loudly as Isabela started about her, and Isabela simply said she had picked up Cat in Fereldan, and left it at that.

Varric took on introductions for his friends, and Cat found out that Hawke's name was indeed Garrett. As she looked at him, she could see the beginnings of the character from the game. This Garrett was younger, and looked to be at the first stage of growing his beard. It was strange how similar he and Carver looked, although she shouldn't be surprised. They were brothers after all, but there were three distinct differences that she could see.

One, Garrett was scruffy, while Carver was clean shaven. Two, Garrett had amber eyes while Carver's were blue, and three- Carver had his signature scowl, while Garrett wore a smirk. She smiled to herself as she recalled the men she had traveled with that constantly wore smirks. She felt a nudge from her left, and realized that she had zoned out, again. Aveline had nudged her, so she turned to her.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Aveline smiled and gestured with her head towards Anders. Cat looked to him with a questioning expression.

"I said, are you going to tell us your name? Isabela called you Kitty, and I wasn't sure if that was some sort of nickname?"

Cat flushed. "Actually it's Catarina, though my friends called me Cat. Isabela just likes to be different from everyone else."

Isabela came to the rescue, "It's true, I am one of a kind!" and then began to talk to Garrett about the duel later that evening, and offering pay for their assistance. Once they agreed to terms and Isabela gave the meeting point, she stood and walked to Cat, dragging her up and away.

"Until tonight!" Isabela called as they walked out of the tavern.

* * *

The group was a little shocked at the quick exit, but Varric just smiled.

"So, what do you think Hawke? I hear she's hardly ever serious, but from what I've found, she can fight better than most, and is a talented pickpocket."

Garrett mused, scratching the stubble on his chin. "I don't foresee a problem with her, and if she's as good as she seems, having a dagger wielder will come in handy. What's with the other one, Catarina?"

"I had no idea there were two of them, but I'm sure I can find out," Varric replied confidently. "What do you know Blondie?"

Anders glanced at them, confused and unsure of what to say. He was feeling strangely protective, and there was a sense of familiarity with Cat. __But… no. She couldn't be the same one… right?__

"Anders?" Garrett asked.

He looked up, into the face of the man who had helped him with no expectations or qualms. He was a good man, Anders was sure. "She told me she works at the Blooming Rose." All of them looked at him as though he were crazy.

"You're saying that shy, innocent girl works at the brothel?" Aveline said incredulously.

"That's what she said," Anders replied. "And she has come to me each week for tonics and medicines, specific for that kind of… thing."

"With that blushing virgin routine, she must make a fortune," Carver said, and Anders glared at him.

"Don't ever say that again," he growled.

"Okay, okay." Garrett placed a hand on Anders' shoulder, and gave Carver a scolding look. "Either way, it gives somewhere for Varric to start, or we can simply ask Isabela later."

"You don't think Cat will be coming?" Anders asked, turning to Garrett.

"It sounds like she may be at work," Garrett replied with a smirk.

* * *

"You seem happier now than you did before," Cat commented.

"Now that I may survive the night, yes, I am happier," Isabela replied. "Hayder isn't one to play fair, but with that group behind us, there's no way he'll try anything. More than likely he'll have his group attack, and we'll end up fighting them all."

"Well, they looked like they can handle themselves." Cat commented.

"Oh I'm sure that Hawke can __handle__ just about anything he wants," she replied with a smirk.

"And how did I not guess that was what you were thinking?" Cat asked with a smile. "Should I plan on sleeping at the Rose tonight? I'm sure Idunna can find me a couch or something."

"You know me, I never say never," she winked at Cat. "But… he seemed more the slow and patient type, like a jungle cat… stalking its prey." Isabela's voice went low and her words were slow as she spoke, and she gave a mock shiver. "The younger one looked ready to pounce, if you're interested?"

"Please," Cat replied dryly. "I'd let you pounce on me before I'd let him."

"Good to know where I stand."

"Anyway," Cat said to change the topic. "So tonight, do you think I should leave sooner and set myself up high before you go? They may be watching for us."

Isabela contemplated the alternatives. "It's not a bad idea, though I'm not sure if it will be necessary for you to even be there."

"I'm going, so don't even start that. Besides, it can't hurt to have someone they don't know about," Cat said. "If it turns out I'm not needed, then I'll just keep a lookout. Once we're done, I'll head to the Rose. I'll plan on staying there unless I see you when I'm done."

"Okay Kitty, have it your way." Isabela stopped and turned Cat to face her, looking her in the eyes. "But no taking chances. You are up on the rooftop, as a lookout. Don't alert anyone to your presence, not even Hawke's group. Agreed?"

Cat hardly ever saw Isabela serious, and it still took her by surprise. "You'll let me go off with complete strangers for sex, but not let me be seen in a fight? You know how contradictory that is, right?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Agreed."

"Good." Isabela became carefree immediately. "Now let's go celebrate before we have to be there!"

"Issy, that's like five hours away."

"Hmm, we'll have to drink fast then," she said, and pulled Cat along at a quickening pace.

* * *

Cat begged off celebrating with Isabela, and wandered back towards home. It should prove to be an interesting night, and if life were anything like the game, Isabela would decide to spend time helping Hawke, and eventually become a part of their group.

 _ _But what if she didn't?__ Cat asked herself. __What if because of you, Issy felt that she couldn't join them? Perhaps she wouldn't need to feel safer by being in a bigger group, or even that they wouldn't be able to help her find the relic? They hadn't spoken of any of this, hadn't made plans at all… But Issy needed Hawke, and they needed her, they just didn't know it yet.__

Cat determined she might have to step in at some point tonight, if Isabela didn't join with them as she hoped. Trying to find and talk to her now, would be a waste of time, so Cat wandered around the marketplace. She'd need a few extra things if she was going to be running across rooftops. She had spent a lot of time running and jumping from rail to crate and back again on the ship, with the waves causing movement and helping her to gain a more surefooted step. She figured this would be similar enough.

She laughed inwardly about it, but decided to buy a black scarf to cover her head and face. Most wouldn't know her, even if they saw her, but she thought it may give Issy some peace of mind if she was seen.

She spent much longer shopping then she had planned to, though she didn't purchase much. She took the time to visit Lirene's shop, as well as visiting the market in the alienage before heading home. She felt as if she was helping the economy there by buying things in the alienage, and hoped that she was creating some good will with the elves.

She got changed and strapped on her crossbow and quiver, and headed into Hightown. She was still a little early, so she stopped into the Rose, to let them know she may be later this evening than normal.

As she entered, Viveka motioned her over to the ledger, where she was standing. "Someone was asking about you earlier," she said quietly. "Tried to schedule time with you, so I referred them to Madam."

"Schedule time… with me?" I asked, almost at a whisper. "You didn't tell them I don't take clients?"

"Madam likes to know when the help get requested. Helps her decide who to promote in the future," Viveka said with a shrug.

"Okay, thanks," Cat replied, unsure of what this meant. When she and Isabela first came here, she had been mistaken for one of the girls, but that hadn't happened in weeks. In fact, most of the regulars helped dissuade others from trying.

Cat walked over to Madam, and cleared her throat. "Um, Madam? Viveka was saying that I had been requested?"

Madam Lisene huffed. "Oh Viveka, that busybody," she patted Cat's arm gently. "Don't worry dear, I told them that you only take specific clientele, and only the very best of customers," she had a gleam in her eye and gave Cat a wink.

"But…" Cat started, worried at what she was hearing.

"Oh, I know dear, stop fretting. But if they really want you, they will spend much more here, and only then find out you do not take customers." She giggled and rubbed her hands together. "I'll still make plenty of money" she winked at Cat again. "Although, if you do change your mind, be sure to let me know. We can make each other rich!"

"I won't, but I'll keep that in mind." Cat replied. "I just came in to tell you that I may be later tonight than normal, Issy needs me until later this evening."

"Not a problem love. Everyone has been so much happier since you joined us, and the clients never had it so good. Hiring you was one of the best decisions I've made." She looked left and right, then said quietly. "Now, if anyone asks, you work here at the Rose, all right? Madam's special customers only, yes?"

Cat laughed at the absurdity of the whole situation. "Not a problem, as long as you don't actually have any special customers."

Madam grinned, and shooed Cat away. "Since you are helping me make extra tonight, take the night off love. Hurry, before I realize what I am saying, and change my mind."

Cat wasted no time, and turned and hurried back out the door. This was one thing she hadn't expected, and since nothing was actually asked of her, she could handle it. She headed out of the Rose, and started looking for a good spot to camp out on the rooftop overlooking the courtyard in front of the Vicount's Keep.


	20. Chapter 20

Cat sat on the roof, enjoying the last of her apple when she saw Isabela enter the courtyard. She smirked and let out her bird call, seeing Isabela grin and return with a whistle of her own, though she didn't look around.

It was barely dusk, and Cat assumed that they still had a few hours to wait, so she got comfortable but stayed alert. While she could rely on what she knew from the game about people or places, she knew timing was not something she could trust. Who knew if Hawke's group would even show up before Hayder's thugs found them.

Cat watched Isabela as she wandered around the courtyard. To any passersby, she looked bored, but Cat knew how ready she was for this. Isabela always enjoyed a good fight, and now that she had backup, it was no longer a threat of death, but fun. Cat couldn't understand how she found it fun, but she supposed that back home she would be comparable to an adrenaline junkie.

Cat continued to watch Isabela as the time went by. The sun finally set, and night crept in as Cat re-positioned herself again. Her legs tingled as she moved, and she berated herself for letting them go numb. She saw Hawke and his entourage enter the courtyard, speaking to Isabela. Looking around, she noticed the group of mercenaries coming towards them, and went to give a warning when they took off running towards her group.

It didn't take long for them to engage each other, and Isabela was quick to down the first archer. Aveline and Carver, together, went after the woman with a large great axe, leaving the other four men with bows to Hawke, Varric and Anders.

Cat raised her crossbow, lining an archer in her sights but before she could fire, the man fell over with a bolt in his forehead. She moved on, looking for another target. Her crossbow, and her jaw lowered as lightning surged out of Hawke's staff striking the first and traveling to the second and third man in turn. She watched in awe as the men stiffened and convulsed as the lightning traveled through their bodies.

Varric shot several bolts in quick succession, Anders froze a man where he stood and Hawke shattered him into pieces, while Isabela jumped from behind the last man sinking her daggers into his neck. With a flick of her wrists, the daggers thrust outward, and the man fell to the ground, dead.

The group began searching the fallen bodies, and Cat just sat there. It wasn't like she hadn't seen magic before, but this was a first. __What was it called? Oh, chain lightning!__ She studied them with a smile. __Is it bad that I want to see that again?__

The group took off with Isabela in the lead, and Cat scrambled to follow them. She grabbed her bag, throwing it over her shoulder, and picked up her crossbow. She scurried over the rooftop, grateful that all the buildings in this area seemed to share one giant roof.

She glanced around as she picked her way towards the chantry, noticing that they were already there, Isabela holding the door for the others to enter. Isabela gave a whistle, and Cat stopped in order to respond. Isabela held out her hand in a "stay" gesture, then continued on inside.

Cat rolled her eyes, but continued to scan the area for anyone nearing the chantry. It was true, the group was formidable and she hadn't been needed. All her time with Isabela she had always been part of the team, and now she felt left behind… something she hadn't expected.

This realization had her shaking her head with a quiet laugh. __If Zev could see me now. Or any of them, what would they think?__ She had been so timid, so against the idea of fighting. Now here she was, sulking for being left out of a fight. __Although, with all the crap Hawke gets himself into, it may be good to stay on the sidelines…__

Cat snapped herself back to the present, realizing that she was neglecting her duties as lookout. She continued to wait, though the minutes seemed as long as hours. By the time they came back out, Cat had been ready to go in after them.

The group wasted no time coming down the stairs of the chantry and turning right, which had Cat confused. Perhaps they were going to split up later, once they were away from the bodies… but they were heading to Lowtown, so why was Isabela going with them?

Their plan had been to meet back at the Rose, in fact Isabela had been commenting about the celebration she was planning for herself. There had been no mention of staying with Hawke, or returning home. Her part of the plan was to watch Isabela's back, so she continued to follow the group as they made their way back to Lowtown.

It wasn't as easy to follow them as before, the roof tops were a jumble of shapes and sizes, and Cat found herself lagging further and further behind. She thought the best place to catch up would be the marketplace, so she took an alternate route, hoping to make up lost time. She barely caught a glimpse of them leaving the market just as she entered, and she hurried to keep pace.

As they neared her home, Cat stopped to catch her breath. She crouched on the rooftop, confused and panting. There was nowhere else to go this direction, unless they were heading for the alienage, and that was hardly likely. She watched as they strode directly into the alienage, and she thought that perhaps Merrill was waiting for them. She stood upright, ready to follow when a noise made her crouch again to stay hidden.

Cat eyed the armoured group following stealthily into the alienage, wondering who they were. There was a woman with an unfortunate bowl style haircut that seemed to be leading them, and the rest of them all wore helmets that gave the appearance of creepy looking masks. She looked around, but didn't see a way toward the alienage by way of the rooftops without backtracking, and she didn't think she'd have the time.

Cat climbed down, utilizing a window ledge, being as quiet as she could. A shout broke the quiet, and she could hear voices as she crept forward towards the entrance to the alienage.

"-ordered to kill whoever entered the house."

Realization dawned as the fighting broke out, and Cat looked for an escape route just as she was grabbed from behind.

"Drop it," a harsh voice said. "Now." She hesitated, but as she felt the point of the dagger at her side, she let her crossbow fall to the ground. "Good. Now, move."

She let the man lead her forward to the middle of the stairs leading down into the courtyard. Cat smirked as she noticed Hawke's companions had teamed up to finish the last of the slavers, while Isabela was already looting bodies.

The man behind her started yelling, though she couldn't really understand him. He was yelling directly in her ear, and she tilted her head to try to get some distance. He jabbed her with his dagger, and she grunted in pain as well as disgust.

She and her captor both looked over as another armoured solider limped towards them. He managed to say "Captain…" before falling at their feet.

"Your men are dead, and your trap has failed."

 _ _Holy crap, it's Fenris.__ Everyone she had met to this point had looked the same as in the game, just better. Fenris was no exception, and Cat couldn't help comparing him to Zevran. It must be an elf thing, because there was something ethereal about them both.

Even though he was a warrior, Fenris moved with the same grace that Zevran often displayed. The difference she noted, Zevran was constantly moving and changing directions both in his movement and his speech, while Fenris seemed to focus on his target and go straight at it, without any hesitation, extra steps or words. And as Isabela had said, or would say at some point, the elves did have very pretty eyes.

Cat paid for zoning out, as she was pushed to the ground scraping several pieces of herself against the stone and hitting her head. She sat up, dizzy, in time to watch Fenris' lyrium tattoos light up, and for Fenris to reach into the captain's chest and squish his heart within his fingers.

She looked up in shock, seeing Fenris' hand in front of her, and dumbly stared at it. He apologized, and walked behind her, lifting her up with ease to stand on her feet. He held onto her arm to keep her steady.

"Are you all right?"

"I think so," she glanced up into his face. "Thank you."

"It is I who should thank you," he replied, still looking her over for injury, and completely ignoring the others at the base of the stairs. "You provided quite the distraction."

"Oh," Cat said quietly as her face went red. She was suddenly very glad she was still wearing her scarf around her face. "Um, you're welcome?"

He gave a quiet chuckle, and turned to the others, letting go of her arm. As they conversed, Cat picked up her crossbow, finally unloading it and storing it on her back. She was basically hidden around the corner, and glanced back to see them all still involved with their conversation except for Isabela who was eyeing her, so she took off.

"Hey, wait!" someone called after her.

The look from Isabela had told her enough, and she knew she needed to get back out of sight. She took a few random turns, heading nowhere in particular, finally finding a few strategic crates that helped her get back to the roofs.

She circled back around, and gave a whistle to Isabela. She didn't hear a reply, but didn't expect to. If she replied while with the group, they would easily guess who Cat really was, and while she didn't care, Isabela did.

Knowing Fenris' desire to confront his former master, there was no way they wouldn't be heading there immediately, so Cat started back towards Hightown. It was much larger than in the game, so she didn't know exactly where to go. She would have to wait near the entrance and follow them from there.

* * *

The waiting was most definitely the worst part, and while Cat didn't necessarily want to fight for her life, __anything__ would be better than the waiting. Next time Isabela suggested she be the lookout, she would completely refuse.

"There was a group of 'em, I saw 'em go in."

"This was going to be our new hideout, and they just took it?"

"That's right, why'd you think I went to get everyone?"

Cat glanced down, seeing several shadows, but no people. They must have been sneaking towards the mansion, trying to stay hidden. There was no way they were speaking of anyone else, so she readied her weapon. She wasn't about to let anyone surprise her… friends, she supposed. __Acquaintances? Whatever.__ The point was, she wasn't letting them in. She took out several bolts, and laid down on her front, placing the bolts carefully so they wouldn't roll away. It was an awkward angle, and she needed to be able to reload without much movement in order to keep her camouflage.

As the first came into view, she took in the uniform, hesitating. She remembered their earlier conversation deciding that if they were truly guards, then they were corrupt, and she took aim and fired. As soon as the bolt left the bow, she had the next one ready to load. She had the bolt in place as she heard the scream from below, and she stayed as close to the roof as possible, slowly pulling back the string to load the next bolt. She had her chin resting on the roof, and her head tilted sideways making it difficult, but she succeeded.

Aiming with her head sideways was a new experience as well, so she took her time. She wouldn't get more than one or two more shots before she was discovered, so they needed to count. Cat aimed again, smiling as her targets stood still, looking around for the threat. She fired, and another one fell.

She stayed still, listening to see if they had noticed where the bolts were coming from. __It appears that they are either not very smart, or not paying attention.__ She was able to kill two more with this method, though it took longer in between each shot, as they began hiding behind the buildings.

"There you are!"

She rolled to her right, avoiding an axe in her back. __Guess I fell for that one, but one semi-smart guy out of who knows how many is still pretty pathetic. Plus, he could have gotten me if he had kept his mouth shut.__ Cat got up and ran, giving herself time to grab another bolt and reload. Then, turning back to the man pursuing her, she dodged his swing with a roll, and came up firing. Her bolt caught him in the chest and he fell, rolling off the roof with a cry, that was silenced with a thud.

Cat wasn't sure how many more there were, so she needed to get on the ground. She snuck back, past her original position. She assumed the man had climbed up where she had planned on climbing down, so she loaded her bow and crept forward. She came to the pillar that looked thin enough to shimmy down, and she scanned around the area, even lowering her head over the edge of the roof to look underneath. She put her pack and bow on her back and put on her gloves.

Cat climbed quietly over the side, and using her gloved hands and the sides of her boots, slid quickly down the pillar. She landed in a crouch, moving fast into the shadows. There was no movement, no sound, but her gut was telling her it wasn't over.

She moved slowly and deliberately, keeping the sound of her steps to a minimum as she made her way back to the mansion's entrance. She waited nearby for several minutes without incident.

Cat felt it, on the back of her neck, like an annoying fly that wouldn't let her alone. Someone was watching for her, and if she waiting for them to make the first move, Hawke's group could come out and be taken by surprise. Someone could be hurt, so she decided to try to draw them out. She set her pack and crossbow down, and pulled out a dagger, holding it next to her to keep it hidden. She knew Isabela would be angry with her for this, but she was feeling somewhat reckless. She tightened the scarf, so her peripheral vision was no longer obstructed, and headed straight for the mansion's door.

The footsteps behind her gave away their position, and she turned, flinging the dagger as she did. She looked at the two figures, her dagger buried in the stomach of the smaller one, as he fell to the ground. Now there was one left, and he was much bigger than her, and coming right for her.

Cat smiled. Isabela liked men on the bigger side, and nearly everyone aboard the Siren's Call that had trained her were just as big if not bigger than this man. He came at her with his greatsword out and swinging as she went to the side the sword was on, going low as the sword went over her head. She swept her leg out and he steadied himself as he thought she would try to sweep him off his feet, but her leg connected behind his knees, and he stumbled.

Cat jumped on his back, grabbing around his neck and wrapping her legs around his chest. She released her hands and reared back, bringing her open palms to either side of his head, slapping his ears simultaneously. He roared in frustration, his equilibrium affected and she pulled at his neck again, then releasing her legs and kicking behind his knees again with each foot as she dropped her hold on him completely.

He was leaning forward against her pull on his neck, and the strike to his knees with the weight suddenly gone had him overbalanced and crashing forward. Cat went in for the kill, pulling another dagger from her boot and stabbing directly into his kidney, twisting and yanking out her dagger, then kicking him forward, face down on the ground.

The sound of clapping had her whirling around, and she faced Hawke- who was applauding- and his friends, most of whom had looks of shock on their faces. Isabela stayed in the back, her expression unreadable and Cat rolled her eyes, glad she had left the scarf on.

She leaned forward, wiping her dagger on the man's clothes before stashing it back in her boot, and headed to his smaller friend to retrieve her other one.

"Why are you following me?" Fenris growled out at her, and she turned to look at him in confusion. She shook her head and continued in her task.

"Following us then?" Varric asked, and she ignored him. She quickly sheathed her dagger at her side, and walked to her crossbow putting her pack and weapon on her back, then facing the others with her hands on her hips.

"Did you kill them all yourself? Must have something against the guard?" This time it was Carver who questioned her, and she didn't reply, but wondered what kind of man Garrett was, that he had yet to say a word, just simply watched her.

"No, they look similar, but they are not part of the guard," Aveline stated.

"Oh good," Isabela said, moving to the first body. "That means looting." She started commenting on each thing she found, and Cat waited. It was something Isabela had taught her before she was deemed ready to fight. Isabela would get their attention, and Cat would run.

"Ooh! Look at this Hawke!"

Cat seized the moment, as everyone's head turned to see what Isabela had found. She turned and ran as fast as she could.

"Seriously?!"

* * *

Varric started chuckling as the woman took off, the exasperation in Carver's voice breaking his control. _"_ _ _Why didn't anyone else see the humor here?"__ he asked himself. Isabela looked angry, continuing to loot the fallen "pretender" guards with the help of Aveline, and Anders took Carver aside to sit down and heal his wounds.

Varric stayed where he was, leaning against the wall, listening to Fenris question Hawke accusingly. The former slave had _ _just a bit__ of anger towards mages, but Hawke was able to not only talk him down, but get him to agree to help with the couldn't claim to know the future, but he knew Hawke was going to be a big part of his from now on.

In just a few short days, Hawke had managed to join together a group of warriors, rougues and mages whose skills were as diverse as they were. Varric no longer had any qualms about going to the Deep Roads, as long as these people came along.

Varric glanced to his side as Isabela came to stand next to him. "So Rivaini," he said, then paused. "You are from Rivain, aren't you?" She glanced at him with a nod and he continued. "Care to give me the specifics about that job you were mentioning? About the missing cargo?"

Isabela explained the particulars, finishing just as Fenris and Hawke did. She straightened up, getting his attention. "Well Hawke, it's been fun."

"We're heading the same way, we can see you home," he said.

"Aw, such a gentleman, but I make it a point to walk home with Cat whenever I can."

"I didn't think she would need a protector, seeing how often she goes to Darktown," Varric threw in.

"Where do you get that? We've only gone to Darktown once."

"Uh-huh, my mistake." Varric gave her a sly smile, which she immediately distrusted. "Where do you walk home from, at this time of night?" he asked with a smirk.

Isabela simply smirked back. He was good at charming out answers, but she wasn't one to give information away for nothing, especially about herself or her crew. She glanced at the others, noticing how they all were waiting for her response. __Interesting.__

She began to walk away, throwing a flirty wink at Fenris, and making sure to brush Hawke's arm as she passed. "Offer stands, anytime," she told Hawke, and she sauntered away.

"Hanged Man, tomorrow at mid day for the next job!" He called after her, and she gave a little wave to indicate she had heard.

"And now we're bringing the pirate along?" Aveline asked. "We can't possibly trust her."

"Definitely," Hawke replied, though Aveline was unsure which part he was answering. "But you have to admit, she keeps things entertaining."

"Ugh," Aveline responded in disgust. "May as well go to the brothel if that's what you're looking for."

"Haven't ruled that out yet," he said with a smirk.


	21. Chapter 21

Cat went straight for the Rose as she ran, knowing she could hide easily there. She may have had the night off, but no one else knew that, and that's where Isabela was going to come for her. Before turning the final corner, she yanked the scarf off her head and stuffed it in her pack stopping to listen for anyone trailing her.

Upon entering, she nodded at Viveka, and asked after Idunna. She had finished for the night, so Cat hurried up to her room.

"Oh, Cat! I didn't think I'd see you tonight."

"Why not?" Cat asked.

"Well, it's much later than normal, isn't it?" Idunna replied. "But no matter. I was just going to let you know that we are running low on tonics. Everyone contributed this time," she said as she handed Cat a pouch full of coin.

"Oh, great. I'll get an order in tomorrow," Cat said as she sat heavily on a chair. She was finally able to fully relax, and she was ready to crash.

"Is that… blood?" Cat glanced at Idunna, noting her gaze at Cat's side.

"Yeah, though it was just a scratch. Some idiot thought he could rob me earlier." Cat took in Idunna's horrified expression, knowing exactly what to say as a distraction. "Then this incredibly handsome elf saved me, though I did get scraped up a bit." Cat held out her arm, showing off the large scrape down the side from falling to the ground.

"Incredibly handsome you say? Tell me more!"

Cat grinned, her injuries forgotten as she described her "hero", giving him attributes of both Fenris and Zevran to entertain her. She continued to gossip with Idunna as she cleaned herself up until Isabela showed up to walk her home.

"No luck with Hawke?" Cat teased as they headed home. When she didn't get an answer, she looked at her friend. "Issy? You okay?"

"Kitty, you weren't supposed to be seen."

"An unknown woman was seen, not me." Cat pointed out, unsure what had Isabela so serious. It always put her on edge when her friend wasn't smirking.

Isabela rolled her eyes. "Fair point." She was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Just how many times have you gone to Darktown?"

Cat looked at her, confused. "A few times, I get the tonics from Anders' clinic for Idunna and the others."

"You do realize that's its called the UNDERCITY for a reason?" Isabela said slowly, as if she was talking to a child.

Cat understood now, and tried to keep her temper in check. "And you realize that you trained me to be able to take care of myself, yes? I can't keep having this same fight Issy. Either you trust me, or you don't."

Cat meant one thing, but Isabela's thoughts went to the relic. She did trust Cat, but… Isabela stopped suddenly, and sighed. Cat stopped as well, turning to face her.

"Cat…"

"Whoa, it's really serious, you're calling me by my name," Cat said only halfway teasing.

"Look, I do trust you." Isabela ignored the comment, but since she hadn't been able to say what she wanted to, she changed tactics. "But I'd prefer to be there, you know to watch your back. You've had mine, and… well… we're in this together, right?"

"Right." Cat felt she was missing something, but this was more than she was expecting, so she'd take it. "Okay then, I'll let you know when I need to go to Darktown. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Oh, and Issy?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to go to Darktown."

Isabela laughed. It seemed like she was rubbing off on Cat, as she was much more snarky than she used to be. "Very well, but we've got to go in the morning. We're meeting Hawke at the Hanged Man at midday."

"WE are?"

"We're a team, right? So we both have to go." Cat's grin helped squash the guilt of continuing to keep secrets. Cat already knew too much about the relic as it was, in fact she was surprised Cat hadn't already guessed. If Isabela wanted to protect her, she'd need to keep her in the dark.

They continued on towards home, Isabela inquiring about work.

"Actually, I had the night off," Cat told her. Isabela gave her a questioning look and she explained about her conversation earlier with Madam Lisene. "So," she finished. "We now have to tell people that ask that I, you know, __work__ there."

Isabela smirked. "I've already been doing that Kitty, though it's good that I don't have to say it behind your back anymore."

"It's so absurd, no one would believe it," Cat replied.

"I think you'll be surprised by how many will want to believe it, Kitty."

* * *

"Kitty, quit sulking."

Cat glared at Isabela, and continued to walk towards Anders' clinic.

"I'm not sulking. I just don't understand why I can't have my crossbow. They barely saw me with it! I mean, who cares if they know I was there last night?"

"I care," Isabela said with finality. She thought of a surefire way to get Cat on board. "Besides," she added. "Your knife skills need work."

"What?!" Cat demanded, fuming. "Argh! I know what you're doing, and I'm so angry that it's working!" She fumed silently for a few more moments then said, "Fine! But only to prove you wrong about my skills."

"Of course," Isabela drawled with a smirk.

Cat continued on to the clinic, greeting Anders and ordering several weeks worth of toiletries- as she had dubbed them. She could probably make a fair amount of money if she charged the others, but she was paid well enough already and she wanted her friends to be as safe and as healthy as they could be.

After Anders discovered they were heading to the Hanged Man he decided to walk with them, so the three of them made their way out of Darktown.

"See Issy? Safe as can be," Cat remarked, still somewhat annoyed at Isabela's protective behavior.

"Did you just call Darktown safe?" Anders asked incredulously.

"Don't be daft," Cat replied. "I'm simply saying that I can travel safely there and back without needing someone to protect me."

Isabela was surprisingly quiet, and Cat decided not to push the point. That is, until Anders kept talking.

"You've been coming to Darktown by yourself?!" He stared at Cat with his mouth agape, then turned to Isabela. "And you let her?"

"Excuse me?!" Cat demanded, before Isabela could respond. "LET her? No one LETS me do anything."

Anders was not slow, and easily realized the mess he just created. He glanced at Isabela, but she simply smirked and gave a wave of her hand in a "it's all yours" gesture. He cleared his throat, worried about how he might fix this.

"Of course not, that… that's not what I meant, of course."

Cat's eyes narrowed dangerously. She could see how nervous he was, but she had no doubt that he had meant exactly what he had said. However, if he apologized, she wouldn't be able to stay mad. And she had quite a bit of energy to get rid of, so she'd let him worry while she got it out of her system.

"C'mon. Let's just get there already," she said as she pushed forward.

"Right! I could use a drink," Isabela commented.

Anders couldn't decipher the looks from either woman, so he simply followed after them, working out how to apologize under his breath.

* * *

Meeting with the group did nothing to improve Cat's mood. Hawke asked why she was there, and after being informed by Isabela that they were a team, shrugged then ignored her. It wasn't that she expected to be welcomed with open arms, but still. Carver was sending looks her way that she didn't want to think about, and Aveline was looking at her like she was a bug. __What exactly happened since I saw them last?__

Hawke talked about inconsequential things with Varric, while waiting for Fenris to arrive. Varric tried to pull Isabela and Cat into the conversation without any luck, and once they all were seated, Cat realized that they had been boxed in by the other group. She and Isabela were seated against the wall, with Hawke's companions all around them. She traded looks with Isabela, and got a silent response to let it play out. She put her best poker face on, and waited.

"I have some questions," Hawke began, looking at the pair of them. Cat had to severely restrain herself from making a snide remark, as she had already thought of three of them. She felt Isabela's hand on her leg, and stayed quiet.

"I suppose I did offer you an explanation," Isabela replied.

"That you did. I merely want to know more about you, so I know if I can trust you."

"Fair enough, though if I don't want to answer, I won't."

"Fair enough."

Cat rolled her eyes at the two of them. Again, several smart remarks came to mind involving measuring… things… but she knew they wouldn't be appreciated.

Hawke probably figured he started with the easy question first, though it was actually the most difficult. "Who is Castillon, and why is he after you?"

Cat and Isabela both sighed. "Short version?" Isabela said. "A powerful man with ties to the Felisicima Armada. I botched a job-" she paused as Cat interrupted with a disgusted noise, then continued. "and in order to even things out, I have to get him the relic. Honestly, it would be easier to kill me, but Castillon isn't that merciful. Plus, I like living."

"That guy here in the Hanged Man, he was helping you look for the relic?"

"Yes," Cat answered. She was tired of feeling left out. "They insisted they could get information on it. They lied."

Hawke glanced her way, then turned back to Isabela. "What exactly is this relic?"

Isabela didn't glance at Cat, though she wanted to. "I don't really know. It's valuable, and Castillon wants it."

Cat held on to her poker face. If she didn't already know what Isabela was going to say, that wouldn't have been possible. She could feel the stares from the group around her.

Hawke paused as well, looking between them several moments before continuing. "You were shipwrecked?"

If his plan was to throw off their guard, it worked. The shipwreck was something that neither woman thought of, let alone spoke of. It was all horrible memories, and horrible loss. Cat didn't think she could even talk about it now, and they both sat silently.

"There was a storm," Isabela began quietly. "My ship… ran aground on some reefs near the city. Cat and I- " she stopped as her voice broke, and looking at her, Cat continued.

"We managed to make it to shore. Most of the others, weren't that lucky." She placed a hand on Isabela's thigh, hoping to provide comfort without letting the others see. Isabela hated looking vulnerable in front of others. She looked around the table. Though everyone was content to let Hawke take the lead, they were all leaning in, catching every word.

Cat tried to stop the tear, but her mind brought face after face, memories of those that had helped her, had taught her, had given their all and had been lost. She reached up to wipe it away, and the movement was noticed by everyone, including Isabela.

"Balls. I'm sorry Kitty,"

Cat smiled back at her, letting her know it wasn't her fault, though Isabela would always blame herself.

The silence, or perhaps the tear was uncomfortable for Aveline, and she asked, "I thought I heard something about freeing slaves?"

Cat knew Isabela didn't want to talk about it, yet she did anyway, probably anything to stop thinking of the shipwreck.

"I was hired by Castillon to escort a cargo ship," Isabela said. "About halfway through I boarded the ship only to find the __cargo__ were people- hundreds of men, elves, even children. They had paid Castillon to get away from the blight. He took their money, and sold them into slavery. I let them go." She chuckled, "I can see from your face that you weren't expecting that, were you?"

Aveline shrugged, and Cat grinned at her. She got a small smile in return, and took that as a good sign.

"Okay." Hawke said. "I'll let you know when I need you in the future. You're free to accept or decline any job, though not after we're already in it. Varric gave me the details of the missing cargo for your friend, and I've added it to the schedule."

"Schedule?" Cat and Isabela asked together.

"Hawke is very… organized." Varric said diplomatically.

"He's a control freak," Carver muttered, his face lighting up when he heard Cat's giggle.

"Should be interesting," Cat said. "Issy likes to be in control too."

Isabela stood, and simply stepped across the table to head toward the bar. "That's NOT true. I just prefer being on top," she said to Cat with a wink and sauntered off to get another drink. Cat noticed that all the men had turned slightly, to watch her exit, and her eyes met Aveline's. They both gave an eye roll, then smiled at each other.

"I must admit, I thought you were like Isabela when we first met, Cat," Aveline said.

Cat laughed loudly, "Oh no. Issy's one of a kind."

"Well, either way, I apologize for my assumptions."

"No problem Aveline."

"If… that is, I can help get you a position in the guard, if you are wanting different employment."

"That's kind of you," Cat beamed. "But I have a great job."

"Yes, Madam's special customers only," Isabela added as she returned.

Cat noticed the looks from the others, and felt the need to defend herself. "It's a great job! Good pay, few hours." She could tell that they weren't convinced, so she simply muttered under her breath, then raised her voice with a change of topic. "So Hawke, what's next on the schedule?"

There were several groans, and shaking heads, but Hawke's face lit up. "Well, we have several rumors to gain more information on, but the most pressing items are a trap laid for a member of the guard that we need to stop, and a delivery to a group of dalish elves."

Cat's heart rate skyrocketed as she took that in.

"Dalish elves?" she asked.

"Yes, we have an amulet we need to bring to them, to repay an old debt."

"Looks like we're in," Isabela stated. "When is it?"

"Tonight at dusk, we'll meet here. The day after we'll head out to the elves, unless something else comes up."

Cat wasn't sure why Isabela was so keen to agree to this, but her mind and pulse were going a mile a minute. She might actually figure out how she got here, and more importantly, how to get home. Now she only needed to figure out how to get Flemeth to help her.


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's Note:_ Sorry I missed my update this past Sunday, as I was on vacation. So here's an extra chapter to make up for it!

* * *

Varric watched as Cat and Isabela left, the latter fixing herself a position at the bar, and the former leaving the building. He glanced at Hawke, who seemed to be deep in thought. It was one of his finer qualities, that he didn't do everything on impulse like his brother, but sometimes he thought that Hawke thought __too__ much.

"Seems their story checks out with what we've heard," he stated, getting Hawke's attention.

"True," Hawke responded. "They're still hiding something, but I suppose even the great Varric Tethras can't find ALL their secrets."

"Hawke, you wound me," Varric said with a hand on his heart, closing his eyes dramatically. He opened them again once he heard Hawke's deep chuckle.

"Good thing you don't have to trust someone completely in order to fight with them, otherwise it would just be me and Aveline."

Varric smirked, and nodded his head while Aveline clapped Hawke on the shoulder to give her farewells, leaving with "No Hawke, just you." Carver, finally realizing what the comment meant, stood also, grumbling under his breath and walking out behind her.

Hawke looked at the warrior and mage that were still there, noticing the tension, and hoping they would be able to work together well enough to accomplish their goals. He thought he would either need to use them separately, or keep them together until they were comfortable with each other. He decided he'd have to wait and see.

"I should go as well Hawke," Anders said as he stood. "I need to spend some time in my clinic to make up for being gone tomorrow. Do you need me to join you for tonight's job?"

"If you can, I would appreciate it," Hawke replied, looking to Fenris and adding "both of you. I don't know that there will be much fighting, but you never know who we may come across in this city."

"Very well," Fenris replied as he also stood. Saying nothing further, he started walking to the door.

Anders gave his back a withering look, then turned to Hawke. "I'll see you tonight then. Farewell."

Varric and Hawke both raised a hand in farewell, but continued to sit, as Anders followed Fenris out the door. "You do realize that none of them paid," Hawke said.

"Not surprising in the least," Varric replied. "You're gathering quite the group Hawke. At the very least, it will be entertaining to watch."

"Definitely not your typical crew," Hawke replied with a smirk. "A few more jobs, and we'll have the gold we need for the expedition." He paused, thinking, then added, "by then, we should know who we can trust to bring along."

Varric could see that Hawke was becoming lost in thought, so he settled in his chair and waved over a contact that was waiting for him. After all, with what Hawke had said, his reputation was on the line.

* * *

At home, Cat gathered some coin and headed for the market. She could only guess at what they needed for the trip to Sundermount, and decided to purchase some supplies. More than likely it would not be a single day's adventure, so as she walked, she made a mental list of what they might need.

She decided against a tent, but did purchase a couple of blankets, some food rations and flint and steel for starting a fire. True, there were mages in their group, but she didn't want to assume anything. Morrigan had always refused to light the camp fire with magic, and who knew if Hawke or Anders would do the same? She doubted it, but better prepared, then sorry.

She continued to wander, checking items off her mental list when she was stopped suddenly as she walked straight into what felt like a wall. Shaking her head to clear it, she looked up.

"Fenris?"

"You should be more aware of your surroundings."

Cat wasn't sure what was happening, but Fenris was standing in front of her, his huge sword on his back, his arms crossed and glaring at her. She was starting to think it was his default expression, which was strange because he had been very nice when he saved her from the slavers.

"Sorry about that, I was lost in thought," she said pleasantly.

He didn't respond, just continued to stare at her, and she was very unnerved. He took a step closer, and she instinctively stepped back. He stepped closer again, and grabbed her arm to keep her from retreating again.

"I want to speak to you," he said.

Before she could respond, they heard someone say, "Hey! What are you doing to her?" and Anders came rushing up to them, pulling Fenris' arm away, and stepping in between them.

"Talking. This doesn't concern you, mage."

Cat knew how he felt about mages, but the venom in his voice as he said mage was still surprising. Anders didn't like it either, as his eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps she doesn't want to talk to __you,__ " he replied with anger.

Cat moved around him, putting her hands out to each of them. "Whoa guys, no reason to have a fight here. Anders," she said patting his shoulder, "thank you for the rescue, but I'm fine. Fenris and I are simply talking. Fenris," she said looking to him now, "next time just ask to speak to me, there's no reason to grab me."

Fenris glared at Anders, who stood a little taller and didn't try to hide his smirk, then turned back to Cat. "I did. And I __grabbed you__ ," Cat rolled her eyes at the sarcasm, "so you wouldn't trip over that." He didn't point, but gestured down to her left with a nod of his head.

Cat turned to look down, seeing a small stack of baskets spilling out from a merchant's stall. She felt stupid now, and tried not to be too embarrassed about it.

"My apologies," she said, noting the hint of surprise that had Fenris' eyes widening slightly. "What did you want to speak about?"

Fenris glared at Anders, and Anders simply stayed put. Cat however, was looking at him with a smile, her head tilted a little to the side in question. He supposed if she wanted to ignore the mage, he could do so as well… easily in fact.

"I want to know why you were following us from the rooftops last night."

Cat froze. __Issy is going to KILL me!__ She thought frantically for a response, as Fenris looked at her, and Anders gaped at her.

"Cat, was that really you?" Anders asked quietly.

"No, no. Of course not." She took in their sceptical looks, knowing they knew she was lying. "Okay, maybe. But you can't tell anyone! Issy will freak out, and she won't let me come with you guys anymore!"

She knew she was panicking, but seeing both males bring their hands up in a calming gesture made her realize just how panicked she must be sounding. It almost made her smile to see how similar they acted, though they wouldn't appreciate the comparison.

Cat took a few deep breaths, calming herself, and began again, speaking directly to Fenris since he had asked. "Isabela told me about the duel, and while she didn't want me fighting directly, she had me on the rooftop as a lookout. I followed everyone from the courtyard, to the chantry, then to the alienage." She paused, as she noticed Anders nodding.

"Continue," Fenris said, though to Cat it sounded more like an order.

"I didn't want to be in the open on the wall, so I climbed down to look into the alienage. Then the guy with the dagger found me, then you showed up."

"What I don't understand, is why you ran away?" Anders commented, causing both Fenris and Cat to look at him, as if they forgot he was there.

"It was the one thing I promised Issy. She didn't want Hawke to know I was there, because… well I'm not sure why exactly, but I __promised.__ "

"Yet now…"

"Yeah, well, we had a long talk about it, and she's relented a little bit, but she's still very protective. I don't get it, but- "

"I do."

Cat looked back at Anders. "What?"

"I get it. Something about you, it makes me feel protective too. Maybe it's your innocence."

"My what?" Cat looked confused, and glanced back to Fenris, as if he could explain it to her. When he merely shrugged, she turned back to Anders. "I'm not innocent."

"Well, yes… I mean, no. I'm not saying that, I'm just saying…" He rubbed his face with his hands, then glared at Fenris, who was enjoying his discomfort far too much. "Don't act like you're not the same," he growled at Fenris, getting only a raised brow in reply.

"Whatever," he continued. "I have to get back to my clinic. Cat, you sure you're okay here?"

Cat could practically hear the "with __him?"__ that Anders was implying. "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks Anders."

"Very well," he replied, and turned around to head off to Darktown.

"Wait!" Cat called after him, and he turned. "You'll keep this a secret, right?"

"Of course. You can trust __me."__ He turned back and continued out of sight.

 _ _Wow__ , Cat thought. __They really did take an instant dislike to each other.__ Cat looked up at Fenris. __He was so hard to read, what is he thinking?__ "So… you don't think I'm innocent, do you?"

"I watched you kill several men last night," he replied, which had her considering, then nodding.

"Fair point."

They continued to stand there, the silence stretching on, and Cat began to feel awkward. "Well then, I'd better be going."

"There was one more thing."

She had started turning to walk away, and he continued with her, outpacing her stride, and pushing her along with his hand at her back. "Yes?" she asked, wondering what else he could possibly ask. He waited until they had turned the corner, and she looked around confused, as they were now in a small secluded alleyway. Before she could ask what they were doing here, he finally answered her question.

"I don't know who you are, or who you are working for." His lyrium tattoos lit up, and he brought his hand in front of her chest, the threat very clear. "I do not yet know your intentions, but if you mean us harm, I will not hesitate to kill you." He suddenly let her go and walked away, leaving her shaking and trembling against the wall.

Cat gulped. __Oh, crap. Why was it always the extremely deadly elves?__

* * *

Later that night, Cat assisted in defeating the guild that had cornered guardsman Donnic, and she and Isabela tagged along as the group went after a gang that were trying to dominate the streets.

"I'd better head to work," Cat said quietly to Isabela, while the group was looting the fallen.

"Hawke!" Isabela called. "Gotta run. Meeting tomorrow outside the city, right?"

Hawke walked over to speak to them. "Change of plans, actually. We've got to take these papers to the Vicount as evidence against the guard captain."

"Hard pass on that," Isabela said. "the day after then?"

"Well…" Hawke mused as he stroked his chin. "How about this? You two come tomorrow, and after, we'll go to the docks for your missing cargo? A couple of the others can't make it tomorrow, and I could use some back up."

Cat and Isabela looked at each other, their expressions speaking for them. Hawke watched, amused, as they seemed to go back and forth.

"Very well," Cat said finally. "Count us in."

"Excellent. Tomorrow morning at the Keep."

"See you then!" Isabela called as they walked away.

The group watched as they left, and Fenris turned to Hawke. "I will accompany you tomorrow as well," he said.

"What? I thought you had something else to do." Hawke replied, confused.

"I've changed my mind."

Hawke watched in confusion as Fenris left, then simply shook his head. He didn't think he would ever understand that elf.

"Yeah," Carver said as he came up to Garrett, "I think I'll tag along. I'd hate for something to happen to them… er, you! You know, if I weren't around."

"Mm-hmm," Hawke replied sarcastically.

"Junior here has a good thought, maybe I should be there too," Varric chimed in.

"Let me get this straight," Garrett pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to laugh. "I rearrange the schedule, so that we can do their job, because you fools all HAD to have the day off. Now that the pretty girls are coming, you all suddenly can make it!?"

"Not all the pretty girls…" Donnic said quietly.

"Wait, you don't think that's why Fenris is coming, do you?" Anders asked, eyes flashing. "He touches them, and Maker only knows what will happen." All eyes went to Anders. "What?" he asked.

* * *

Cat walked into the Rose, a grin on her face. Everything was happening so fast, she could hardly believe it. When she left Ferelden with Isabela, she knew there was a possibility that she would make it to Kirkwall, and even that she would meet Hawke, but things were so far beyond what she had imagined!

"I'll wait for you here, Kitty."

"Okay, I shouldn't be long, looks like a slow night."

Cat went straight to work, gathering up linens, cleaning the rooms. She had been doing this long enough to have an efficient routine down pat. Once finished hanging the wet linens in the large dining room around the fire, she headed to Idunna's room.

"Idunna?" Cat called as she knocked.

"Down here, Cat!"

She looked over the balcony to see Idunna along with Serendipity, and a few others playing cards with Isabela. She walked downstairs to join them, going to Idunna and placing a bag of coins in front of her.

"What's this?"

"You gave me far too much for the toiletries, this is what was left over."

"SIlly, the leftover was for you. You have to charge for the transport and delivery."

"What? No. I don't mind getting them. And this is twice as much as the cost."

"Well that's too bad, because I already told everyone what your cut is, so you'll just have to deal with it. I'm sure you could join us, I'd be happy to win the money back."

Cat smiled, and Idunna gave a small half smile in return. "If you're sure…"

"Of course I'm sure. We're still paying less than we used to, and the quality is far superior. I'm sure we'll have several others wanting to join in soon."

"All right then, thanks." Idunna waved off her gratitude, returning to the game. Cat watched for a few moments, surprised. She had assumed that Idunna was more of a loner, but her she was. Everything was like the Dragon Age games that she knew, yet tweaked, and it still gave her a shock at times.

"Issy? We should head home, since we have to be up early for Hawke." Isabela groaned, and Serendipity let out a chuckle.

"Guess you'll have to try to win it back next time sweetie," Serendipity said to Isabela.

"Make sure you bring extra, because I'll clean house," Isabela replied, standing up and throwing down her cards. "Night ladies!" She and Cat called out as the left.

They walked a short ways in silence, then Isabela said, "Seems I'm not the only one looking out for you."

Cat looked at her with a soft smile. "That's true."

"How much did you make?"

"About seven sovereigns."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, I can't believe she didn't just keep it."

"Like I said, looking out for you."

"Yeah… but why?"

"Why what?"

"Why does everyone want to look out for me?" Isabela started to speak but Cat rushed on. "Seriously, Issy. First Zev, and Duran and Alistair and all of them. I get that, I couldn't protect myself. Then you, and the boys… you helped me, looked after me, taught me." She paused, trying to collect her thoughts. "But why here? I can protect myself, I'm not some clueless little girl anymore. Why do they look out for me?"

"I take it this is bigger than just Idunna, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess. Anders said something about feeling protective, and hinted that Fenris was the same. Though I doubt that part, since he threatened to kill me."

"Okay, we are definitely coming back to that. As to the rest? I'm not sure. There's something about you. For me? You're my friend, my crew. It's my job as captain to look out for you. For others? Well…"

"Let me guess, my innocence?"

Isabela snorted. "What innocence?"

"Thank you!"

"It's along those lines, though. I'd call it your trusting nature. The problem is Kitty, you see the good in everyone." Cat started to disagree, but Isabela held up her hand. "Yes, I know, when someone is bad, or doing something wrong, you have no problem kicking butt. But…" she added with a wink, "everyone is not always good or evil, and there are people that would take advantage of your nature."

Cat walked along, unable to truly disagree anymore.

"But, it's also a good thing. People care about you, because you care about them. You don't care if they are mage or templar, priest or whore. You like people for who they are. And while that may seem normal to you, that is most definitely NOT normal here. It makes you stand out, and it could lead others to harm you. So that's why your friends protect you."

"Hmm." Cat made a thoughtful noise to let Isabela know she heard. She was actually shocked to get a straightforward answer, but now that she thought about it, it made sense. "Fenris' words make more sense now."

"Yeah, about that."

"Don't worry, it was nothing. He basically said he couldn't get a read on me, and if I hurt his friends, he'd kill me." She smirked at Isabela. "Can't really blame him for doing the same thing you would do for me, right?"

Isabela smirked back. "Of course I can, Kitty. Women's prerogative after all."


	23. Chapter 23

The next morning came sooner than Cat wanted, and she and Isabela continuously yawned as they waited in front of the Viscount's Keep for Hawke.

"Why'd we agree to this again?" Cat asked sleepily.

"Because afterwards, we're going to find your stolen cargo."

Cat jumped, the deep voice startling her.

"Long night?" Garrett continued with a grin. Cat eyes narrowed as she took in the smiles on everyone's faces. Well, except for Fenris.

"It was very, lucrative," Isabela drawled, and Cat gave her a withering look. She just loved to get her riled up, so Cat played her best defense. She flipped her braid over her shoulder, and started walking to the Keep. "It's all about the Benjamins, after all."

Cat giggled as she walked, knowing that everyone would undoubtedly be trying to figure that one out. It was also the perfect comeback for Isabela, as she hated being left out of the joke.

"Who is Benjamin?" she heard Carver ask Isabela, and she stifled another laugh.

A couple of boring hours later, the guard captain- or rather, former guard captain- was taken to the prison, and Aveline was given the position. Although there was training and other such formalities, everyone gave her pats on the back, and congratulations. Aveline tried to remain stoic, but Cat could see the slight hint of pink on her cheeks, and knew that this was a big deal for her.

"Oy! Hawke!" Isabela called out, ruining the moment, most likely on purpose. "You said we were going to the docks, right?"

"That's true, I did. Aveline, I'm sure you've got things to do here?" She nodded. "Very well, we'd better take our leave."

With that, Hawke's group, minus Aveline, made their way out the door and back onto the streets.

"Whew, thought I'd never escape," Isabela said to Hawke.

"It wouldn't have hurt to let her have her moment to shine," Cat said with a eye roll. "That's what friends do after all."

"What friend?" Isabela countered. "Kitty, I promise if you ever become guard captain, I'll let you shine all day long, all right?"

Hawke snorted. "When mabari fly."

Cat gave him a sideways look, with a single eyebrow raised. She kept it up until he began to look uncomfortable. "I'd prove you wrong, but I have no desire to be a guard, let alone guard captain."

"Really?" Varric asked from behind her. "And what DO you desire, as it were?"

Cat tried for oh, thirty seconds, but she just had to say it. "Why YOU, Varric, of course."

Everyone was quiet, until Cat couldn't hold it in any longer, and a giggle escaped. Then Isabela's full-body laugh boomed out, and Hawke and Carver joined in. Cat thought she saw the corner of Fenris' mouth twitch upwards, but she may have been mistaken. Varric however, was smirking.

"You could do much worse than a handsome dwarf, Miss Catarina, I assure you," He walked past her, and added quietly, "and you can't dodge my questions forever."

The group continued to chat among themselves, and Cat walked next to Fenris, mainly because he was up in front, and Isabela was being kind and keeping Carver preoccupied in the back. They were almost out of Hightown when a couple of guards passed them, and a man came chasing after them.

"So you won't do anything! She didn't run away, something HAPPENED TO HER!"

Cat didn't think, she just stopped, and reached out, grabbing Fenris' arm. Hawke, who was behind them, stopped as well, noting her action and his reaction. Cat seemed oblivious, but Fenris seemed ready to attack, then noting her attention elsewhere, was able to calm himself. Hawke watched as Fenris tried to reclaim his arm, without success, so he stepped up to help.

"Cat? What's the problem?" Hawke asked, as he stepped up to her other side. He followed her gaze, noting the man who was yelling was coming straight for them. "Whoa friend," he said as he put his hand up to stop the man. "What's the problem?"

Cat listened dispassionately, hearing about Ninette, and how she had gone missing. She felt nothing for the man in front of her, and when he mentioned how his wife spent time with whores, her head snapped up.

"Perhaps, if you treated your wife as a person, and not a bauble, she would not seek friendship elsewhere."

"Friendship? Are you stupid?" The man said derisively. "One does not spend time with a whore to be their friend."

Cat stared seeing red, and reached out to do something- punch him, gouge his eyes out, she didn't know for sure. However Isabela was standing in front of her, and Fenris was gripping her arm.

"You've got five seconds before I let my friend disembowel you, you piece of slime." Isabela said flatly. Hawke could see this was turning into a "situation" and pulled the man away from the group.

Isabela glared after them for a moment, before turning around to help Cat calm down. She was too late, as Cat had gone from livid to morose quicker than she could blink.

"Kitty?"

Cat looked up, meeting Isabela's eyes. "I didn't even get to meet her, and now she's dead."

"Try not to think of the worst case scenario, Cat. She may actually have left the bastard." Varric pointed out.

"Right, of course." Cat replied.

Hawke reappeared that moment, explaining that the man didn't actually have any evidence that his wife was missing, and agreed with the guard that she had most likely simply left him. Cat knew better, but nodded anyway. The group continued towards the docks, and Cat noted that Varric handed Hawke a flyer about a reward for the return of the Viscount's missing son. "Docks first," Hawke said, and handed it back to Varric.

* * *

"Martin gave us all the info we need about the cargo, now we just need to talk to the Harbormaster about where his crates are." Isabela informed Hawke, as they walked over to the Harbormaster's office.

Cat was bringing up the rear this time, Carver next to her. He was talking about some sort of fight they had been in, and she was having a hard time not feeling bad for him. It would be difficult having Garrett as an older sibling after all, especially when trying to compare yourself to him. He was a natural leader, full of charm and charisma when he wanted to, and causing fear when he chose. Carver, for all he tried, was a good fighter, and a nice guy… but he wasn't Garrett. Cat wondered if he even really wanted to be, or if he just thought he needed to compete.

After Isabela "charmed" the Harbormaster's assistant into disclosing the cargo's whereabouts, the group headed to the far east side of the docks, near the warehouse district. Cat felt uneasy passing by the Qunari compound, but renewed her conversation with Carver as a distraction. The Qunari warriors were very observant, and she didn't want to actually __look__ nervous, even if she felt that way.

The hustle of the crowds dwindled as they continued to make their way to the warehouse. Cat looked around, taking in the area. It was strange to her, that the bad side of town actually looked bad. The buildings here weren't crumbling apart or falling down, but everything looked as if it wasn't taken care of. It was interesting how similar the two worlds were, in the little things.

"Excuse me"

Cat looked to where the unfamiliar voice had sounded, her hand automatically going to her back, although her crossbow wasn't there of course. She looked at the armored dwarf behind her, turning to face him. She noted that there were several more dwarves about ten feet behind him, and while they were all armored, they were not holding weapons. She glanced over her shoulder to see her group was far ahead. She must have fallen behind as she was taking in the scenery. __Stupid move Cat,__ she berated herself.

"Yes?" she finally responded to the dwarf, pasting a smile on her face. She heard a yell behind her, and turned to hold up her hands as Carver came barreling over, maul in hand. The others followed, and Cat noted with a smirk that the rest of them walked over, no worry showing in their faces.

"My name is Sutton," the dwarf continued, speaking louder so that everyone could hear. "We are escorting our lord to his ship, but the Carta has laid a trap for us. We do not have enough men to push through their ranks, and I worry for my lord's safety. Please, can you help us?"

Cat knew better than to answer for the entire group, so she did as everyone else and looked at Hawke.

"Who is your lord?" Hawke asked.

"Lord Renvil Harrowmont," Sutton replied.

Hawke looked at Varric, who nodded. "I don't know him personally, but I know of the family."

"Very well, we will help you," Hawke said.

"Thank you, thank you!" Sutton's face was still a stern warrior's face, but his eyes conveyed the gratitude he felt. "We will go get our lord, and meet you back here, then we must escort him to his ship, over at the dock there," he said pointing.

Cat watched as the group hurried off. Everyone moved over towards the wall, taking positions leaning against it while they waited, but Cat was pacing. Duran had told them that even though Bhelen had betrayed him, and killed their brother, Duran had chosen him as king because he would bring the much needed change to Orzammar. He had told them of the strict agreement Duran had made with Bhelen, including how he was not to take revenge on the Harrowmont family. Cat wasn't surprised to hear that Bhelen was a liar, but now she wondered if she should try to let Duran know.

"Stupid Bhelen, with his stupid… face." Cat was annoyed that she couldn't even think of a good insult, but she didn't want to insult Duran at the same time. The others looked at her in confusion, not understanding why she was upset.

"Catarina, do you know the king of Orzammar?" Varric asked, eyes lit in curiosity.

Cat froze in her tracks. At least about this, she could be honest. "No."

"So, you're just well versed in dwarven politics?

"Not really." Cat racked her brain, looking around for the dwarves to return as a distraction, but saw nothing. An idea popped into her head, so she ran with it. "You know Varric, I'm a little surprised that you use my full name, when everyone else has a nickname."

Varric smirked at her, knowing full well what she was doing. "Haven't thought of a good one yet. Besides, I use Hawke's name."

"Sorry, still counts as a nickname since we have more than one Hawke. And do you even know Hawke's name?"

Hawke took this moment to butt in, asking "Do you?" to Cat.

"Of course," she said, glancing at him, and then back to Varric. She smirked at the dwarf and said innocently, "It's Gary."

"No, no, Cat. That's not right." Varric replied, hiding his own smile. "It's obviously Gehrad."

"That's can't be right Varric," Cat said "It's Gavin, or was it Grover?" They heard Hawke's noise of protest, and turned to look at him. The shocked look of insult on his face was enough to break the hold Cat had on her laughter, and it spilled out of her mouth. Isabela and Carver were quick to join, and Cat couldn't tell if Fenris enjoyed the joke as he was facing away from them on lookout.

"Hawke," Fenris said, breaking the moment and putting everyone on guard. There were a dozen dwarves heading towards them from all directions, easily surrounding them.

"Carta," Varric said quietly to Hawke, and all hands went directly to weapon hilts.

"Easy, friend." The dwarf in charge spoke to Hawke. "We simply came with a proposition."

"And that is?" Hawke asked, crossing his arms in front of him.

"We're getting paid handsomely for the noble bastard's head, and if you help us get him, we'll share the spoils." Cat made a disgusted sound, and he turned to look at her, then back to Hawke. "How does five sovereigns sound?"

Cat knew she wouldn't be a part of helping the carta, but she actually wondered what Hawke would say. __Was he actually a good man, or was he just taking any job for the money?__

Hawke glanced back at his group, taking in their thoughts on the matter. Cat, being in the front, simply saw him look at her, and shook her head, while pleading with her eyes.

"Sorry," Hawke said, not sounding sorry at all. "We're here to save him, not kill him.

"Bad move. Kill them!"

Cat grabbed her daggers, blocking a stab from a dwarf that appeared in front of her. But before she could counter attack, Isabela appeared as if from a shadow, and stabbed both of her daggers into the dwarf's back, twisting and pulling them back out quickly.

"Issy! I've got this!"

Isabela simply smirked, and thrust her daggers behind her, while keeping her eyes on Cat. Cat looked as a dwarf lost his stealth cover as he fell to the ground, and Isabela flicked her wrists to get rid of the excess blood on her knives.

Cat tried not smile, then outright frowned as a shimmering barrier came around her. She glared over at Hawke, because she was well aware of this type of magic. In her first few months, Wynne was constantly putting barriers around her to protect her from the fighting. While she had appreciated it then, now it seemed almost like an insult, that she was the weak link in their group. Cat swallowed her anger, scanning for a target. She raced over to put herself at Carver's back, since he was too busy yelling to notice the dwarf coming at his flank.

Cat did a slide tackle, knocking the dwarf off his feet, only to have Isabela crouch down and slit his throat.

"Issy! Stop stealing my kills." Cat rounded on her, noted her smirk was still in place.

"I didn't see your name on them," Isabela replied.

"Thank you friends." The new voice stopped argument, though Cat knew she was not finished ranting. Her adrenaline was up, and she hadn't done anything besides tackle a dwarf.

Hawke spoke with Renvil Harrowmont, and the group watched as the dwarves ran for thier ship, quickly setting sail.

Hawke led his group back towards the warehouse, listening to Cat berate Isabela, smiling, until she turned her wrath on him.

"And you, Garrett Hawke! What was the meaning of that barrier!"

He had only thought to give her some added protection, but was wise enough not to say so. "Oh, so you DO know my name!"

"Ugh!" Cat grumbled in annoyance as the group came to a stop. Hawke peeked around the corner.

"Five men, all guarding a warehouse? Very odd. This cargo must be something good."

"Just five? I'll handle them," Fenris stated.

"No," Isabela said. "Kitty's got this."

"What?" Cat and Hawke asked together.

"Show them what you can do Kitty," Isabela replied. Cat thought for a moment, remembering how it was done in the game, and her mouth twisted in to an evil looking smile before she trotted away from the warehouse.

"Are you sure about this?" Hawke asked quietly.

"Yes," Isabela replied. "While I enjoy stealing her kills and riling her up, you need to know what she's capable of. I don't want you to underestimate her."

They watched as Cat came running past them, heading straight for the guards.

"Whoa there!"

"Stop!"

Cat stopped quickly, holding a hand to her chest and panting, more than was actually needed. The men looked at her suspiciously, and she concentrated to keep from grinning. __This was actually going to be a lot of fun!__

 _"_ Fire! There's a fire! Around the corner at the dock!"

"What?" a man asked. "I don't see anything."

"Please! Help them!" Cat put a terrified note in her voice, grabbing onto the nearest man, and covering her face with her other hand. "Can't you hear the screaming?" She fell to her knees and started rocking back and forth and sobbing, covering her eyes so that they couldn't see her lack of tears.

She could hear the indecision in their voices as the debated, until finally one man said, "We'd better check it out." She glanced through her fingers, noted that they didn't even leave one man behind to watch her. She stood up, and made a cooing sound, her bird call sounding much more like a dove than a wookie these days.

Less than a minute later,her group came into view, Isabela in the lead.

"Nice work," Varric said. "they had no idea what hit them."

"You should have just killed them, it would have been faster," Fenris said as he walked past her.

"But not as fun," she replied.

They made their way into the warehouse, killing the few that were guarding, and finding Martin's cargo of poisons. Isabela was tempted to keep a little for herself, but Cat reminded her of how Martin had helped them, and she kept her hands to herself after that.

"I don't need a conscience," Isabela told her as they were leaving.

Cat smirked. "Perhaps when you stop stealing my kills, I'll stop stealing your buzz."

Isabela laughed and put her arm over Cat's shoulder. "Oh, and by the way," Isabela murmured in her ear. "Who's Benjamin?"


	24. Chapter 24

"Do you know where you're going?" Isabela asked, complaining as they trekked further away from the city. Cat was glad that Isabela had asked, because she was wondering the same thing.

"Of course not, we're looking for someone who was kidnapped. The kidnappers didn't leave us a map," Carver replied sourly. "I'm following the tracks."

"What tracks?" Cat asked curiously. It couldn't hurt to learn about tracking after all.

Carver's frown disappeared as he gestured Cat forward. He began explaining what he saw on the ground, and how to interpret both the tracks and any disturbed foliage. Cat's curiosity waned as Carver grabbed her hand to pull her along, so she pulled free.

"What's that track?" she asked pointing, grateful for the distraction.

Carver glanced down, and immediately back to Cat. "Spider,"he said. "Cat, what is-"

"Spider? As in the giant kind?" Cat demanded, cutting off whatever Carver had been about to ask. "I'm out of here."

Carver smirked at her, which only caused her irritation to grow. "Are you scared of spiders Cat? I'd protect you, you know." Cat rolled her eyes, as she turned to look around them. No one else looked worried, so she tried to calm down.

"I'm sensing a story…" Varric drawled.

Cat mused, and decided to share. It would help distract her from thinking about spiders. She didn't have to give details of the people involved, and it would be smart to not be so mysterious all the time in front of Varric, who literally found out secrets as a career.

"Oh it is. Would you like to hear it?" She asked, smiling at the look of shock that crossed Varric's features before he grinned at her.

"Absolutely."

"Well," Cat began, as she gestured for everyone to continue walking, and she waited a moment before slipping back in at the middle of the group. Everyone could hear her better from here, but really she just didn't want to be on the outside in case spiders did show up suddenly. "the first time I saw a giant spider, I was in Ferelden. One of my traveling companions and I were annoyed at each other."

"Really, why?" Varric asked.

"Why is that important?" Cat replied.

"For context."

"That's not the point of the story, Varric, so I'll just say he was very overprotective, like a certain pirate." Cat frowned at him. __Give him an inch, he'll try to take a mile…__

"Anyway," Cat continued, "It started raining, and eventually it was raining so hard that we couldn't keep traveling. We had a wagon with us, and it kept getting stuck, so we decided to find some shelter. My companion was ranting about how I was going to catch my death and so on, even trying to get the mage in our party to create a barrier over me so I would stay dry."

"And the mage said…?"

"She vehemently disagreed, and threatened to remove his teeth and wear them as a necklace if he asked again," Cat said with a laugh. For as scary as she was, Morrigan could come up with the most intriguing threats.

"I'll have to remember that one," Hawke said with a smile.

"Yes, well, he stopped asking, but he wouldn't let up about it, until finally I snapped at him. I told him I didn't need his protection and I could find my own shelter, and I didn't want to hear another word about it. He didn't say a word, even when we found a cave and I ran in without letting the fighters check it out first."

"Ooh," everyone said in sympathy.

"Yeah, that's where I met my first giant spider, and I'll be glad to never see another one."

"So did he end up saving you from the spiders?" Isabela asked with a wink.

"Yes, he did. He asked for a kiss for his bravery, but I was so upset I ended up slapping him, and then yelled about how he could have let me go in there by myself." Cat remembered with a laugh. "Good thing he swore an oath to protect me, otherwise he probably would have killed me, for all I put him through."

"Oh?" Varric questioned. "He swore an oath to protect you?"

Cat joined Isabela, who was laughing loudly now. "Everything makes so much sense now!" Isabela said in between peals of laughter.

"No, not really," Varric grumbled. "If he swore to protect you, where is he? Did he die saving you from some horrid beast? That would make a really good ending to the story."

"No, he's not dead, at least, he wasn't when I left Ferelden. Who knows?" Cat explained.

"Spiders!"

The shout went out, and Cat shuddered. "Crap!" she muttered, looking around wildly. She jumped as a spider scurried over from the side, coming straight for her. She wished momentarily for her crossbow, but took a step and leaped just as the spider went to strike her. She landed awkwardly on it's back, and she dug her daggers into it's head.

"Ugh! Oh, disgusting!"

"Cat! Just kill it! We don't need the commentary!" Isabela called out to her.

"Shut it Issy!" Cat yelled back. True, everyone else had killed multiple spiders while she had only taken one. She rolled off the spider as it dropped to the ground, and shook herself, trying to get rid of the gross feeling of spider fur. "Blech!" She saw the last spider going towards Varric, so she ran forward, only to have the spider explode. Right in her face.

Hawke smirked as the spider exploded from the inside out, and was about to yell out to Varric about owing him, when he saw Cat, standing frozen. She was next to his kill, and she was absolutely covered in spider guts. She turned her head, and Hawke felt fear for the first time since he was a little boy. She looked like she was going to murder him.

"Uh, sorry about that Cat…" He didn't finish as she held up her hand. She started towards him, and he backed away.

"Get him Kitty!" Isabela cheered her on, but Cat gave no notice, just slowly stalked him, her eyes honed in, and Hawke felt trapped like a cornered animal. He abruptly stopped when his back met a wall of rock, and Cat came face to face with him, and smiled sweetly.

Hawke was dumbfounded, what was she smiling for?

"Thank you Garrett," Cat said softly. "You saved me from that big… bad… spider." Cat's voice dropped seductively, and Hawke's gaze dropped to her mouth. "I just have to reward you," she added, and Hawke was no longer afraid.

Cat's arm's twined around Hawke's neck, and she could see his eyes darken. Then she struck, rubbing her face and hair to his, then turning and rubbing spider guts all over him, before she stepped back.

She could her their companions howling with laughter, and she gave Hawke a wicked grin. He looked like a sad deer caught in headlights, just standing there, covered in spider entrails with a disgusted look on his face.

"Seems we rescued someone from those spiders, you should probably go talk to them," Cat informed him, and then sauntered off. Hawke steeled himself, wiping the gunk off his face and looking for a clean spot on his clothes to wipe his hand.

He stepped up to the dwarf and men that were huddled near a fire pit, ignoring the looks he was getting in return. "Seems we happened by at the right time," he began.

Cat stepped over to Isabela, and asked for a spare cloth to wipe her face. "Sorry Kitty, though I know you don't actually expect me to carry extra linen around."

"True, but it didn't hurt to ask."

Varric stepped up, and handed Cat a handkerchief. "That was some show," he said.

"Thanks," she replied. Gesturing to the cloth she asked, "you sure you don't mind?"

"Nah, it'll wash out. Go ahead."

"Thanks." Cat used every inch, getting at least her face and hands clean. She stowed the handkerchief in her own pocket, determined to wash it before returning it.

"Well, let's head out," Hawke said. "We have a boy to find."

"You were chatting for awhile, did they want something?" Varric asked as the group continued on, down towards the coast.

"Yeah, the dwarf wanted to hire us, but it seemed pretty sketchy. Wanted us to kill Qunari deserters, in the hope that the Arishok would sell him some powder. Didn't sound like a solid plan."

"It is not." Fenris added, speaking for the first time that day. Hawke learned quickly to pay attention when Fenris spoke, as he only did so when he deemed it important. "The Qunari do not sell their weapons."

"As I thought," Hawke replied. He glanced back at Cat. "I really am sorry about that," he said, and Cat laughed.

"No worries, these things happen. Just know, I'll always get my revenge when they do!"

"So noted," he replied with a nod, a smile back on his face.

Cat followed along, keeping to herself as the group finally came across the Viscount's son. Some bounty hunters had already laid claim, but Seamus asked Hawke to rescue him from them. It lasted several hours, as the bounty hunters kept coming in waves to try to take back Seamus so they could claim the reward, and Cat took the opportunity to jump into the ocean. Being in wet clothes was nothing compared to spider guts, and she figured she would dry off before they made it back to Hightown.

She was correct in her assessment, as after they dropped off Seamus with his father and collected the reward, Hawke decided to go home to change. Cat offered herself and Isabela to go to the Rose and ask about the missing woman, Ninette. Hawke agreed, and they decided to meet at the Hanged Man afterwards. Before they could turn around, Varric declared he would be accompanying them.

It wasn't that Cat didn't like Varric, or didn't want him around… but it was much easier when he wasn't. Now she had to be on guard, and make sure to watch what she said. But she just smiled, and agreed, and the three of them headed off to the Blooming Rose.

"Issy, no wandering off, we're here on business after all."

Isabela just grumbled, even as she gave Cat a wink. Isabela liked to have fun, but she always got the job done, Cat knew she just preferred to combine the two. Making their way inside, Cat stopped to speak to Viveka. "I need to talk to Jethann, do you know if he's busy?"

"Hmm," she said, looking in her ledger. "No, today is his rest day, so he should be free."

"Thanks," Cat replied, heading up the stairs.

"You, ah, know who we need to talk to?" Varric asked, and Cat felt like face palming.

"Jethann knows everyone, so he'll be a big help," Cat replied.

She strode forward, knocking on his door.

"Oh, hey Cat. It's my rest day, so I don't have anything. But it's really early for you-"

"Jethann," Cat interrupted before he could say more. "These are some friends of mine. We're looking for a woman named Ninette, and thought you may know who she was seeing?"

"Ninette? Again? Something must have happened…"

"Can we come in and talk?" Cat asked, and Jethann straightened up."

"Of course," he stepped back, allowing the three of them in, giving both Isabela and Varric a flirty welcome.

"Oh, I like him," Isabela purred. "He's fun."

"What can I say?" Jethann said, holding his arms out. "If you enjoy what you do, you never truly," he made an obscene gesture, "work."

Cat rolled her eyes. "Jethann, we're here about Ninette."

"Oh, right." Jethann straightened and spoke to Cat without any flirting. "I heard she finally ran away from her husband. Good! He didn't deserve her, and he treated her like a doll you leave on the shelf. She was so miserable."

"So she did come here?" Cat asked.

"Yes, she was so much fun. Always wanting to try new things, talking about the new places she visited. I told her to be careful, but she was enjoying the freedom, and I couldn't blame her. She started going to Lowtown, she said the shops were better there, not so pretentious… her words."

"So, Cat," Varric started, and Cat tensed. "Why don't you stay here on your time off?"

"Why would she?" Jethann asked, confused before Cat could say anything.

"Well, she works here, I just assumed…"

Jethann burst out laughing. "Our little Cat, __working here?__ Only in our dreams, sir."

Cat turned to Varric, "Wait, you think, I'm one of the __workers?"__

"Well, yes?" Varric added, looking confused. "You said you worked here, what else am I supposed to think?"

Cat turned to Isabela, eyes wide. "He thinks I work here."

"Well, technically Kitty, you do." Isabela's grin made Cat sneer.

"Don't give me that." She whirled back to Varric. "Wait, so __everyone__ thinks I'm a whore?"

"Hey, you say that like it's a bad thing." Jethann said, while he got sat down on his bed, getting comfortable. Things were definitely getting interesting.

"Of course not, but these are supposedly people that are my friends! If I said I worked at the Keep, would you assume I'm the Viscount?!"

"No, but it's not like you've elaborated. So tell me, what do you do then?"

"I take care of them." Cat said, pointing to Jethann. "I clean, do laundry, get tonics, whatever I need to, to make sure they stay healthy and safe."

"And, she's fabulous!" Jethann agreed. "I shudder to think about how things used to be."

"Yes, well, now I'm in trouble!" Cat said, pacing back and forth. "Madame Lusine asked me to pretend I do work here, so she could make money sending customers to others that ask for me."

Varric started laughing at that, and Jethann sat up, worried. "Oh no, if I caused Madame to lose money, I'll be demoted. I'll have to go back downstairs!" he continued to worry, coming up with worse and worse punishments.

"It will be fine!" Isabela shouted, causing the other three to stop what they were doing and look at her. "No one has to know, and Varric can keep a secret, I'm sure."

Varric caught on, and did a little bow to Cat, "I promise on my life, no one shall hear it from me. Though I do suggest you actually tell your friends."

"Hmph, some friends." Cat had a thought pop into her head. "A lot of conversations make much more sense now…" she murmured, blushing furiously. All this time, Aveline, Anders, Carver… Garrett. They all assumed she was for sale.

"I… need some air," Cat said, going to the door, and striding out. Varric and Isabela went to follow.

"Wait!" Jethann called and they turned back. "You should know, there was a templar here asking about Ninette, though she wasn't a mage, so I am not sure why. He said he was headed to Darktown."

* * *

Varric and Isabela just followed after Cat, there was no reasoning with her now, and she was a woman on a mission.

"Anders! I need your help!" Cat called as she opened the door to the clinic. The lantern wasn't lit, but she hoped he was home.

"Cat?" Anders asked as he stood up form the desk in the corner. "Are you okay?" He rushed over, grabbing her shoulders, and looking everywhere for an injury. "Where does it hurt? What happened?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm not hurt. I just need to save someone from some bandits, here in Darktown, and I don't have time to get Hawke. Will you come?"

"Oh, I think it would be better to wait for Hawke, don't you?" Anders said gently.

"Okay," Cat smiled, patting his shoulder. "Thanks anyway." She turned around, and started to leave, but was stopped by Isabela, who looked over at Anders.

"She's determined to go anyway, so it's either your help, or none." Anders looked between them, Cat not returning his gaze before sighing.

"I'll get my staff."

They had hardly walked far, when they heard the noises of fighting. Cat ran in, attacking the first man she came to, and the others quickly followed. The fight was over quickly, and Cat moved over to the man kneeling on the ground, panting heavily.

"Are you alright?" He nodded, though looked like he needed a moment before he could speak.

Anders stalked up, grabbing Cat's arm and spinning her to face him. "You neglected to tell me I was coming to save a templar!" he hissed at her. "Now he knows where I am!"

"It's fine Anders," she said calmly, putting her hand to his cheek. There were cracks of blue light that she tried to cover, and the contact had him calming without realizing it. She spoke softly, so that Emeric couldn't hear her. "He's pretty out of it, and old enough that he won't remember the fight. If he remembers magic at all, he'll assume it was from the carta members, not us. Besides, he doesn't know who we are." She gave his shoulder a pat, and turned back to the templar.

"I thank you Serah," he said, though he made no move to get up. "This fight has proven that I cannot continue my investigation."

"You were investigating Ninette's disappearance?"

"Yes," he nodded, "as well as two other women. Everyone tells me I am wasting my time, but my heart tells me there is a connection. But it seems I cannot continue."

"We are also looking for Ninette, perhaps we can take over?" Cat ventured.

"If you would like, then here is all I have discovered," he said, handing Cat several pages of paper that looked like hand written notes. "I am going home." He stood and made his way slowly out of Darktown.

"Come on," Varric said, touching Cat's arm. "We'd better go meet up with Hawke, and let him know about this."

"Okay Varric."


	25. Chapter 25

When Cat, Isabela, Varric and Anders arrived at the Hanged Man, they found the rest of their group in the middle of dinner.

"Hawke, I'm so hurt you didn't wait for me," Isabela said sadly as she sat next to him.

"Why?" he asked with a smirk. "Because now you can't add your meal to my tab?"

"Oh Hawke, don't be so cynical." Cat added, winking at Isabela. "She'll easily add her food to your tab anyway." Isabela simply shrugged daintily and Hawke sighed in resignation, waving Norah over.

"Looks like I'll need to add another four bowls," he said, ignoring Anders' protesting. Varric sat himself in his usual spot at the head of the table, with Hawke on his right, and Aveline on his left. Cat had begun to think of these as their spots, and wouldn't sit there even if one of them were missing.

Fenris usually sat on Hawke's right, with Carver next to Aveline, and Anders next to Carver, though they sometimes changed seats depending on who was there when they came in, and who joined up later. Cat would take whatever was available, but Isabela would always go to Hawke's left side. At first he was stubborn about it, but once she demonstrated she would sit in his lap, he now would scoot over and make room, causing those next to him to move down as well.

Cat and Anders were standing near Aveline and Carver, so Cat skirted quickly around the table to sit next to Fenris. It usually came down to a choice of sitting by Fenris or Carver, and Fenris always won. She almost felt bad about it, since Carver never did anything that she could qualify as creepy or disrespectful… but each time she did the same, making Anders sit next to Carver. But that meant that she and Anders were usually across from each other, and far enough from Hawke and Varric to have their own conversations.

The more she got to know Anders, the more she felt a connection with him. It was almost like having her brother with her, but a brother who understood her just a little bit better. She wondered momentarily how her family was doing, then shook herself from her memories, before they became painful.

"Are you all right?" Fenris asked beside her. It took a moment to realize he was speaking to her, as he merely glanced her way, but didn't even turn his head to look at her.

"Yes, thank you," she replied. "We got some information on the missing woman, but it seems that the templar who was investigating thinks that there are other disappearances that may be connected."

"Hmm, that does not bode well." Fenris kept eating, his voice nor features changing in the slightest. She almost wanted to tell a joke, to see if she could break through his stoic expression, but she couldn't think of a good one, and thought it was hardly the time.

"Cat?" Varric said. "You want to tell Hawke what we found?"

"You go ahead Varric, I'm going to eat. But I'll be sure to correct anything you get wrong," she said with a smirk.

"Critics everywhere," Varric teasingly grumbled. "All right Hawke, here's what happened."

Cat listened to Varric retell their short adventure from the Rose to Darktown, noticing that he omitted not only their conversation about her job, but also their argument about whether or not they should go to Darktown without Hawke. She gave him a grateful smile as he finished, and he gave a small nod in return.

"Sounds like this foundry is the only lead the templar was able to come up with?" Hawke asked us all.

"Looks that way, though there isn't much evidence as to why," Aveline replied, scanning through the notes. "It's almost as if it's just a hunch. He thought he saw one of the women go in the foundry, though even in his own words, he isn't certain."

Cat gave Isabela a pointed look. "It couldn't hurt to check it out then. It would be pretty obvious is someone was staying there with kidnapped women," Isabela said.

"True," Hawke replied. He thought for a few more minutes, then said, "Okay, we'll do that tonight. We can head to Sundermount tomorrow morning."

Cat breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that this wasn't going to be overlooked. Anders patted her hand on the table, and gave a smile. "Don't worry Cat, we'll find them." Cat tried to smile in return, but was sure she didn't quite succeed. She was worried, just about a different woman than he thought. Cat glanced over at Hawke, and then at Carver. If there was one thing she had to try and change, it was Leandra's fate.

* * *

It was fully dark by the time we left the Hanged Man. Aveline had guard duty so she left, wishing us luck, and Maker's blessings. Cat smirked, as a memory of her Ferelden friends came to mind. Leliana nagged so much about not using the Maker in their curses, that even Alistair had begun to copy Duran and Oghren. Hearing Alistair mutter "ancestors' hairy knuckles!" was something she could never forget, and still made her laugh.

Of course, as Cat remembered that, she started laughing, and tried to pass it off as a cough. Anders and Hawke gave her strange looks, and Isabela just grinned. Cat wasn't going to try to explain, so just kept up the pretense of coughing, patting her chest. "Oh, sorry about that," Cat said lamely.

"Let's get going," Hawke said, ignoring her interruption, and they all started off. The streets were quiet now that Hawke had gotten rid of several of the street gangs, and it was a nice night, albeit quiet.

As they neared the foundry, they came across a woman who looked like a chantry priest speaking with a mercenary. She let him lead her into an alley, to speak about payment, and we all looked at each other in disbelief.

"She is foolish," Fenris said.

"That's obvious," Anders retorted. "Can we save such people from themselves? Or more appropriately, should we?" he asked Hawke.

"We'd better help her," Hawke said, pulling out his staff. "She is obviously ignorant of Lowtown's nature."

"She's fine," Cat muttered as she glanced back at the foundry's courtyard. It had definitely looked like Sister Petrice, so she wasn't very gung-ho about helping.

"C'mon Kitty," Isabela said with a shoulder nudge. "Fighting mercs is the best, because no one cares when they die."

"Technically we're mercs Issy," Cat replied. "I would care if we died."

"If we died, you'd be with the Maker, and wouldn't even think about all of us."

"Wait, in this scenario I'm the one going up, and you all are going down?" Cat said with a grin.

"No, you'd be in hell with all of us," Carver snarked. Cat glanced over, giving him a look.

"What are you trying to say Carver?" she asked sweetly. He tried to answer several times, but changed his mind each time and closed his mouth again. "As I thought," Cat said.

"Let's go... quietly." Hawke said. They were already close to their target, so everyone readied their weapons. Cat looked around the others to see what they were up against, and saw several mercs all standing together while their leader spoke to the sister several feet away.

"Just throw a fireball or something," Isabela whispered. "They gathered together so nicely after all."

Hawke started to shush her, but saw that she was right. He could easily dispatch almost of them with one shot. He gestured them back and released his mana, gathering it into his palm, adding the heat so that the ball burst into flame. He released more mana, so that it would continue to grow as he hurled it, becoming large enough to encompass the five men, but not large enough to hurt the sister.

Cat watched with a smile as the blue orb suspended above Hawke's palm became orange and red, then flaming fire, circling rapidly in the air. He moved his arm back slightly, then pushed forward. If he had been throwing a baseball, the ball would have probably dropped a foot in front of him. But the ball of fire sailed over twenty feet, growing as it went until it crashed into the unaware men, who were suddenly ablaze. Their screams didn't last for long, as the fire engulfed them and receded, finally dying out with all five men charred and prone on the ground. She looked back at Hawke, impressed.

Hawke felt her eyes, and turned to see Cat looking at him, or rather, the staff. There was wonder in her gaze, and she was biting her bottom lip, probably in an effort to stay quiet, and he thought again how innocent she seemed in these moments. He knew she was anything but, however he felt himself wanting to show her more magic, to see that look again. She looked away, and he shook his head. __Get a grip Garrett,__ he told himself. __Don't even go there.__ He squared his shoulders, and surged forward, eager to finish what he started.

* * *

"But we were going to the foundry!" Cat seethed. They were grouped together, Sister Petrice and her templar in the other room waiting to hear the answer to their proposition.

"Cat, there is nothing to suggest that there is actually anything or anyone at that foundry. It will still be there in a few days."

"What?!"

"Well, we have Sundermount on the schedule for tomorrow… I guess I could rework some things." Hawke trailed off. "This will probably take until the morning anyway…"

Cat watched in disbelief as Hawke paced around their group, worrying about his schedules. She gave Isabela a questioning look and gestured towards the door, and after a moment received a nod.

"All right then Hawke, you let us know when you're heading to the foundry then," Isabela said, and she and Cat began to walk out.

"Wait, wait." Hawke rushed over to block their path. "Is it always going to be some sort of deal with you two?" he muttered, though they simply looked at him, unmoved.

"No, this is about you only changing your precious schedule when it suits __you__ ," Cat replied, trying to keep her annoyance in check. She really didn't want to start ranting, because who knew what she would say.

"That's not what this is." Hawke snapped, obviously annoyed himself.

"We have to help him Cat," Anders added, trying to make her see their point of view. "As a mage, it's our responsibility to help each other, because Maker knows no one else will."

"I get that Anders-"

A snort from Hawke had Cat stopping mid sentence, and glancing over at him. She tried a deep breath herself, but she knew it wouldn't really help.

"YOU are not a mage, you couldn't possibly understand what it is like," Hawke snapped at her. "You are like a child, seeing the wonders of magic for the first time. You have no idea what true horrors every mage has to contend with."

Cat look down at her arm, seeing Isabela's hand gripping her, and following the arm up to her face. Looking in her eyes, Isabela could see that Cat's temper had snapped, and she released her.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Cat's voice was icy and quiet, and Anders found himself giving a shudder at the coldness he felt. He tried to diffuse the situation, and took a step forward, but before he could say anything, Cat's gaze snapped to him, and though he searched for words, he had none. "You may be a mage, but you don't know Qunari. THAT mage," she said as she pointed into the other room, "would _kill_ himself before being free."

"That's absurd!" Hawke replied, his annoyance building as well, though his voice was hot and bright as his fire had been. He looked back as Anders gripped his shoulder, then looked around at the rest of his friends. He could feel their disapproval, though they said nothing. He sighed, letting go of his anger. __He should know better, be better. Nothing good ever came from losing his temper.__

Hawke gave a nod, and Anders stepped back. Hawke looked between Cat and Isabela, and sighed again. "Perhaps, we can make a compromise," he said, voice dropped back to normal.

Cat was envious of how he was able to reign in his anger, and though she wasn't able to let go completely, she tried to speak normally. "How?" she asked tightly.

"We do this, because it is time sensitive, but we go to the foundry tomorrow once we return to the city."

"In the daytime?" Isabela clarified.

"Yes."

"Everyone." Cat added, and Hawke looked at her questioningly, before looking to his other companions. They all gave assenting nods, so he turned back and agreed.

Cat and Isabela looked at each other, communicating silently, and Hawke determined he needed to learn to read their signals to each other. It would help him immensely if he could understand their silent "talks".

"Fine." Cat said.

"We're in." Isabela added, and the two of them turned to head back into the room with the sister and templar.

Hawke let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. He wondered when these two women would start following him as their leader like the rest of the group. He was realizing that getting them to that point would be more difficult than all the others combined.

 _ _Challenge accepted you two…__ he thought, and followed his crew to the negotiations.

* * *

"This place is disgusting," Cat said as she looked around for a place to sit.

"We are in the sewers Cat," Anders replied. He continued to gather whatever he could from the supplies of the men who had tried to kill them. How men could choose to live down here, Cat could only guess.

After a time, Anders found enough to make a makeshift camp, including a fire, and the group took places around it. Cat looked over at Hawke, who was still trying to have a conversation with the Quanri mage that they were taking out of the city. She wondered if she should ask specific questions in order for Fenris to explain more about the Qun to Hawke. He obviously did not know about their culture, as he continued to ask the mage what he would like to do.

Cat could tell that Hawke was getting frustrated, and decided to help, to make up for their argument earlier. "Ketojan! Come sit here," she called out. Hawke looked gobsmacked, as the mage immediately did as she said, and Cat pasted a surprised look on her face.

"Wow, didn't think that would work," she said.

"Indeed," Fenris replied, which had her looking around the fire for a place to settle, rather than meeting his gaze. She found a relatively clean place near Anders, and sat down, leaning back against the wall.

"So what's our next move?" Anders asked Hawke as he came to settle near the fire.

Hawke wanted to ask Cat about what just happened, but saw that she had her eyes closed. He looked at Anders and replied, "I think we should get some sleep. We're almost to the edge of the city, and it would be wiser to leave at daybreak."

"Good idea," Isabela said as she settled down next to Hawke.

"Do you know what that was about?" he asked her, nodding to Cat. "Why did he listen to her?"

"I couldn't tell you why Qunari do anything," Isabela replied with a smirk.

"Because it was an order," Fenris said, not waiting to be asked. "The mage has always been led."

"But you were a slave," Hawke said, confused. "And you were able to change once you were free."

"It is not the same…" Fenris said, staring into the fire. Everyone was quiet, contemplating the situation they were in.

"But," Varric broke the silence. "Doesn't every slave want to be free?"

"Unfortunately that is not always the case," Fenris said, though he didn't elaborate.

"Is she okay?" Carver asked suddenly eyes focused on Cat. They all turned to her, watching as she rolled left then right, mumbling something that they couldn't hear.

"I think she's asleep," Anders said. He held out his hand, it glowing as he released his mana to try to help deepen her sleep. As soon as he touched her, she froze and began to scream.


	26. Chapter 26

Cat wandered through the endless-seeming rooms and tunnels, trying to find a way out. There was hardly any light, and she had seen several traps that had already been sprung. She moved slowly, trying to remain silent as she crept along, trying not to tremble.

She couldn't stop the feeling of dread, it settled on her like a cloak, and she couldn't shake it no matter what she told herself. Coming out of the corridor, the room opened into a large single space, slightly lighter than where she had been. She stopped and looked around, noting several pieces of furniture- a bed, an armoire, a small table and bookshelf placed in the middle of the space, as if someone had made this place their home.

As she continued to look around, she saw another hallway on the left side of the room, so she moved over to the staircase on her right, slowly making her way down. She skirted around the furniture, not wanting to disturb any traps that may still be in place. As she passed the bookshelf, she noticed a picture frame on top of it, and glanced at it. She took another step, then paused, stepping back to look again. It couldn't have been…

But it was. She remembered when it was taken. She and Steven had gone to the neighborhood park, and played with her nieces- swinging, sliding, monkey bars… And she had jumped out of a swing, landing right in Steven's arms, and looked up at him so completely in love and her sister had snapped the picture. It had always been one of Steven's favorites.

Cat was trembling now, as her mind tried to understand what was happening. Why would this picture be here? And where was here?

She looked ahead, and putting the picture down walked slowly towards the doorway carved into the wall. She tried to calm herself, counting to herself as she took deep breaths, holding her breath longer each time before letting it back out. She slowly made her way into the tunnel. Step by step she inched forward, sticking close to the wall and pausing every now and then to listen. She could hear her heartbeat, pounding as if it was trying to escape her chest.

She came to another room, though it was much dimmer than the last, and she couldn't make out what was in it. She went to the staircase, easing down them slowly and stopping when she heard something. It sounded like someone was speaking, though it was too soft to make out.

Cat decided to keep going, wishing she had some type of weapon, feeling utterly helpless. She didn't like being scared, and she hated feeling helpless! She continued on, her steps so slow that it seemed to take hours to finally make it across the room.

She could hear the voice better now, though still could not understand what the man was saying. She stopped where she was, looking around and covering her mouth as she gasped. She finally recognized this place, the room where the necromancer was trying to recreate his dead wife!

"Your friends were so loyal, but they were wrong to try to keep us apart my love."

Cat listened intently, confused at the change of dialogue, inching closer to try to understand.

"You'll never leave me again. We will be together always."

Cat's mind was reeling. That voice sounded so familiar… She stopped as her foot hit something, and she looked down.

Her hand rushed to cover her mouth again, this time to keep from screaming, tears pooling in her eyes as she looked at Isabela's pale face, her eyes open and unseeing. Cat looked away, trying to stay quiet as she sobbed, and gasped again and again as she saw each of the others. She closed her eyes as she swayed on her feet, and when she opened them, she saw Steven, dressed in robes looking like a maniac holding onto Hawke's hair. Hawke was on his knees, his face bloody, obviously injured and unable to move. Cat realized she was suddenly sitting, and she looked around in terror, her hand flying to her chest, trying to breathe.

Her eyes widened as she felt something on her neck, and using both hands, she could feel the stitches all around her neck. Hawke coughed, his breathing labored as he choked on his own blood, and Cat threw her hands out, though she couldn't get up. She noticed the manacles on her wrists, and saw the stitches in her skin around her wrists and up her arms. Her face contorted in horror as she looked at Hawke, then up to Steven, seeing his evil grin and the large knife he brought around to Hawke's neck.

"They will not bother us again."

Cat's eyes flew open, and she struggled as something held her down. There was something over her mouth, and her screams were muffled. She bucked as hard as she could, but she could barely move.

"Catarina, wake up!"

The voice was a growl, and she could feel the breath of it on her face. As the words sunk in however, she paused in her struggle, and tried to focus on the face above her though it was difficult.

"Let me go Hawke! Fenris, I swear I'll kill you if you hurt her!" A voice yelled from her left.

Cat turned her face as best she could, seeing Isabela struggling against Hawke's hold, and that did more to calm her than anything else could. Her eyes stung as tears welled, and her body shook as she sobbed.

Seeing that Cat had stopped struggling, Fenris released her, and picked her up about to pass her off to the mage who was waiting for her. Cat wouldn't go however, holding tightly to him as she trembled, crying into his chest. He looked helplessly up at Hawke, who released Isabela, and Fenris braced for her wrath.

Isabela paused as she got to Cat, reaching out gently and stroking her head.

"Kitty?" She asked quietly, and the men all sank back to the ground. Fenris gestured for her to take Cat from him, but she merely smirked at him, and he settled back against the wall, letting his arms fall beside him. Cat stayed where she was, holding onto his armor, though her tears are starting to dry. She finally looks up at Isabela, and reaches out to hug her, leaving Fenris' lap.

Fenris glanced down at his wet armor, and gave Hawke a rueful look. Hawke, though still shaken, tried to help. "Cat, uh, you okay?"

Cat looked up, and saw each of them looking at her in concern. "I'm so sorry everyone, it was terrible. I was so scared."

"What was it?" Varric asks, and Isabela glared at him.

"No, I should probably tell it. It'll help make it feel less real." Cat started at the beginning, trying to convey the feelings of terror and dread, though she doubted anything could really describe it. She told it all, only omitting Steven from her story.

"Whoa, this one guy killed us all?" Varric asked. "You've got quite the imagination there Cat."

"He wasn't a guy Varric, he was a necromancer who was also a blood mage," Cat replied testily. "He used his blood, then each of your lives to power his spells against the rest."

"That's a scary thought," Carver said.

"Yet it is only the beginning of what mages are capable of," Fenris replied. After seeing a glare from Hawke he added, "if they do not control themselves."

"And you were following us the whole time, but then were actually his creation?" Hawke asked, trying to understand. "And we were there to rescue you?" Cat nodded.

"What I don't understand is why we couldn't wake her," Isabela said looking over at Anders, who looked guilty.

"What?" Cat asked, looking between them.

"I'm sorry Cat, really. You were tossing and turning, so I was using my magic to put you more deeply asleep. That was right when you started screaming."

"So you just continued to scream and scream, but no matter what we did, we couldn't wake you." Isabela looked accusingly at Anders, and he looked so depressed, Cat couldn't help but soothe him.

"It's okay Anders, you couldn't know I was having a nightmare," Cat said gently. "Thank you for trying to help."

He just stared at the ground, and Cat knew she wouldn't be able to simply wipe away his feelings. She went over and gave him a small hug, and whispered, "It's okay, I'm fine." then stood back and said to everyone, "Should we get going? I could use some sunshine."

* * *

Isabela could tell that Cat was not fine, in fact, Cat was the only one who believed that she was. Everyone else could see the way she kept looking over her shoulder, flinching or jumping at every sound. But it was more than that, that had Isabela concerned. She couldn't decipher the look in Cat's eyes, and that was the bigger concern.

While Cat had her own share of secrets, she was somehow at the same time very open. She didn't hide her expressions well, and it was easy to see when she was happy, sad, annoyed, frustrated, or pissed off. The fact that Isabela could see fear wasn't troubling, it was that she could see something else that she couldn't read.

Isabela shared a look with Varric, both of them seeing the concern in the others eyes. She looked forward again, noting that Hawke and Ketojan were getting further ahead. Her eyes narrowed in frustration. She knew Hawke could tell that Cat was having problems, but once she said she was fine, he acted as though nothing had happened. The man was a constant frustration- his attention to detail and awareness of what went on around him was an enviable skill, yet he could be so willfully obtuse.

As Isabela looked back at Cat again, she decided that her friend needed her, and she came to a stop, ignoring the looks from Varric and Anders, and gesturing Carver and Fenris forward past her. "Keep going, I'm going to talk to Kitty for a moment. We'll catch up."

Cat seemed to be in her own little world, and when Isabela put a hand on her shoulder, she flinched. "Oh! Sorry Issy. Guess I'm a little jumpy."

"More than a little. Kitty, what is going on? This is not just a bad dream."

Cat sighed, rubbing at her neck trying to get rid of the stiffness she was still feeling. She looked around, noting that they were alone.

"I sent them ahead," Isabela said, "now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Issy, there are things… that I haven't told you, because honestly, it's complicated. I'm not sure that you'd actually want to know."

Isabela crossed her arms, and looked intently at Cat. "Does this have something to do with how you know things you shouldn't?"

Cat's mouth fell open. "Uh… yeah, I guess?"

"Okay, you're right, I don't really want to know, I want to keep things simple." Isabela sighed hugely, then squeezing Cat's shoulder, gave a smirk. "But, you're my friend, so if it'll help, then I'll listen."

Cat smiled back, glad to have such a friend. "I appreciate it, but I'd rather not get into all of that." She laughed a little under her breath. "But, whenever you decide you want to know, I'll tell you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Isabela replied.

"For now, it's just disconcerting. The necromancer is real enough, but my mind twisted it, and in my dream… he was my husband."

"You were married to him?"

Cat shook her head. "No, it was my husband from my home, Steven. I think I told you about him once.

Isabela thought back, vaguely remembering the man she heard about, but remembering clearly how sloshed she had been at the time. "Okay… and he's a mage?"

Cat rolled her eyes, "You obviously don't remember. Long story short, no, there are no mages where I come from. No templars, no magic, no chantry…"

Isabela let out a low whistle. "You weren't kidding when you said it was far away."

Cat smirked, figuring that was about enough she could say, without Isabela getting freaked out. "And so seeing him, as a mage, killing my friends… to save me… and how I felt when I saw him… ugh! But I wasn't saved! I was chained up, I had cuts all over that were stitched back up… pieces of my skin that weren't mine!" Cat gave an involuntary shudder at the memory.

While Isabela comforted her friend, trying to help her through the revulsion she was feeling, several feet ahead, Fenris silently backed away. He had come to retrieve them for Hawke, since they had arrived at the opening of the tunnel, though when he heard Cat talk about her home, he had instinctively stopped and listened. The thought that there was a place in Thedas that had not only no chantry was not far-fetched, but no magic? Such a place could not exist. And yet, the way Cat acted whenever she saw magic…

Fenris came forward again, purposefully making noise so that they would hear him coming. When he stepped from the shadows, Isabela was looking at him, so he gestured for them to come. She gave a nod, so he turned to return to Hawke.

He continued forward, past the others in the group, making his way to the tunnel entrance where Hawke stood.

"They coming?" Hake asked him quietly.

"Yes, though it will be a few moments."

Hawke nodded, peering out in the early morning light. "Someone is out there," he said. "We may find ourselves having to fight to get Ketojan free." Hawke turned his head to look at Fenris. "Will that be a problem?"

Fenris' expression didn't change, but inside he was reeling. It still surprised him every time Hawke asked for his opinion, or showed concern for him. He was a slave… a __former slave,__ but still, he had made his stance on magic very clear, and here this mage not only didn't hold a grudge, but treated him as an equal… as a __friend.__

"No. No problem." Fenris paused, then continued. "Although, Catarina may be correct. This mage may not want to be free."

Hawke's eyes widened. "But he's followed us this whole time…"

"I do not claim to know the mage's intentions, I merely wanted to prepare you for the possibility."

Hawke's face went blank, his mouth in a firm line. "I am prepared. I'll save him, even from himself."

Fenris didn't respond and the men stood there for several minutes looking out at the beach and cliffs surrounding them. "What could possibly be taking so long?" Hawke grumbled quietly. "It's a bad dream, just shake it off."

Fenris simply grunted in reply, though he didn't agree. Some mornings it took him much longer than he liked to shake the dreams that plagued him, and he was a seasoned warrior, used to having magic used against him. This had been a first for Cat, so he easily understood why she was having such trouble. __Hopefully this will serve as a warning about the dangers of magic,__ he thought to himself.

Once the ladies returned, Hawke set about giving instructions. As the group made their way out of the cave, Cat brought up the rear with Fenris, as Isabela had gone to stand behind Hawke.

"Uh, Fenris?" Cat asked quietly. He didn't respond, but she felt his gaze, so she continued. "Please tell me Hawke knows he's walking right towards a group of Qunari."

"He knows someone is out there, but I do not believe he knows who it is." There was a great pause before he asked, "How do you?"

Cat just smirked. __Distraction is the key here,__ she thought. "You just want to know all my secrets, don't you Fenris?"

"Yes."

Cat had been hoping to throw him off guard with the flirty tone of her voice, but he merely answered straightforwardly, and she had no reply. He was really starting to worry her, he saw far too much, and unlike Isabela, he was curious. She was under no illusions, eventually she figured they would need to know about her, but they were not isolated here in the city like she had been with her friends in Ferelden. If anyone didn't believe her, things could get out of hand very quickly, and she worried about what could happen if other people found out. Leliana and Zevran had been quite clear that she should not share her secret with anyone that she didn't trust completely.

She glanced over at Fenris again, her thoughts running. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, it was more that she didn't know him, or any of them really, well enough yet.

The group came to a stop, and Hawke began speaking, Cat realized that she had no idea what was going on. They were more than likely about to fight, but she had hardly paid attention up to now. She focused in, hearing Hawke getting more and more angry.

"He followed us out of the city, he wants to be free!"

"Bas, you know nothing. He followed because he wants to be led, he knows no other purpose. Saarebas must be contained. Even your templars don't understand how dangerous they are." One thing Cat could never remember was the titles under the Qun. This guy, was something like Aardvark…. Arvaard? Arvaarad?

"I know EXACTLY how dangerous WE saarebas are." Cat stared wide eyed at Hawke, his eyes were narrowed and glittered venomously. It was fascinating, as she had always been around people whose anger ran cold. Even she, herself would become closed off and icy when she was angry. Hawke was like a wildfire, growing bigger and more threatening the angrier he got, and she found it hard to look away. She noticed that several of the Qunari were shifting, and her gaze went over to them. They all looked uneasy.

"You are saarebas? Bas saarebas?" Cat watched as each of them steeled themselves, the uneasiness disappearing as they thought of their duty. "Your vile words have spilled on us, and our only course is to cleanse the world of your corruption." They pulled their weapons free, and got into fighting stance. "You will ALL die for this deception."

Cat went for her weapons, pulling her daggers free, and was stopped by a huge roar, coming from Hawke. His arms came above his head, his staff spinning while he shouted up at the sky. Cat heard Anders shout, and watched as Isabela disappeared in a puff of smoke, while Varric did a startling backflip to get out of the front lines.

Fenris immediately took his place, with Carver placing himself in front of Hawke, both of them slashing their swords in an effort to keep the Qunari back. A Qunari at the back of their group fell over with a yell, and Isabela was seen momentarily before disappearing again. She appeared behind Hawke as he yelled out, "Anders! Now!"

At that moment, Fenris and Carver retreated, and Varric ran forward. The group was suddenly within a large barrier, and Cat could see the effort that it was taking Anders to keep such a barrier up. She noticed the horror on Isabela's face and the satisfaction on Hawke's as he punched his hands up again. She followed his gaze, realizing that she should have paid attention while they were discussing strategy. Hawke had called down a firestorm, and she was not inside the barrier.

"KITTY!" Cat looked over at Isabela, who was pounding on the barrier, but could not escape it. She started to back away, as the fireballs started coming. At first it was just one, but within seconds she could see dozens falling around them, and she knew she had no escape. She curled up as small as she could, hoping that she could somehow avoid the attack. She could feel something above her, but she didn't dare move.

Cat stayed that way for several minutes, listening to the screams of the dying Qunari, hearing the impacts of the fire as it came streaming down from the sky. One impact came close and she could hear the sound of something shattering, which caused her to move her head, and look up, worried that the barrier around the others had given out.

Cat heard a thump next to her, and was startled to see Ketojan, his shoulder burned and bleeding, and looking like he was passed out. She quickly understood that the barrier that had broken had been his, that he had for some reason protected her, and that now, he needed her to protect him. She glanced up, noting that while the fires rages around them, it seemed that there were not anymore falling, so she stood, and hooked her hands under Ketojan's arms, and started pulling him away.

She had no sooner done so, when another ball of fire crashed into the dirt where they had previously been, spurring her on faster, though they were making slow progress. She didn't have the strength to pull him much farther, and eventually she had to stop.

Cat sat there, panting, before she went around to face Ketojan, looking over his wounds. She was surprised to find it much worse than she originally thought, as it looked as though he had taken a fireball directly to his side. From his shoulder to his waist on his right side was completely burned, black in places, bleeding and blistering in others.

Cat realized she could not see his chest moving, and she reached up to feel his neck, searching for his pulse. The smoke in the area had already caused tears, but she felt them well up anew, for this Qunari who had saved her, giving his life for hers.

She felt the others come up behind her, and someone crouch down and put a hand on her shoulder. Assuming it was Isabela, she turned into her friend, throwing her arms around her and crying into her neck. She realized immediately that it was not Isabela, but Hawke, but when his hand started rubbing her back, she couldn't pull away.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He murmured to her, "It's all my fault."

"I don't think I will ever understand Qunari," Varric stated. "He shielded her with his own body… why?"

"Varric…" Isabela warned him, gesturing towards Cat.

"The Qun demanded his death," Fenris said quietly. "He chose the means."

Cat pulled away from Hawke, embarrassed, and asked, "Can we please go home?" The others nodded, seeing that their job was done, though it felt far from complete.

"None of this would have happened, if they weren't taught to hate and fear mages," Hawke said bitterly as the group walked away.

"After that show, can you blame them?" Carver sniped back. "One spell wiped them all out."

"Magic is a plague, and everyone feels it's effects." Fenris added.

"That only happens when you back a mage into a corner! We had to protect ourselves, they wanted to kill us!" Anders replied hotly.

Cat turned to Isabela, rolling her eyes. It was a never ending debate with this group, and she and Isabela had taken to either keeping silent, or leaving whenever the topic arose.

"You have a thought you want to share, Cat?" She turned back to see Anders giving her a glare. "You haven't told us which side you are on."

"I really don't want to get into it," she replied.

"No, you never do. But I want to know. How can I know how to help those that are not mages understand, if I don't know what the problem is? Please?"

"She obviously doesn't want to hurt your pride by telling you that you are wrong," Fenris said, and Cat gave him a dry look.

"More that this debate is circular, and will never end," she said.

"I admit, I am curious," Hawke added. "We know where our friends stand, except for you."

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

"Oh, but we do!" Anders said quickly, feeling hopeful. After all, she was his friend, she'd have to understand.

"Just remember, you asked for it." Cat gave a big sigh, then continued. "I think you are all wrong."

It was met with silence, as if each side had been prepared to crow, and then couldn't. "Cat, there are only two sides to this, how can we ALL be wrong?"

"Well," she replied, "it's not like I have the solution or anything."

"But?"

"But, from my point of view, you cannot group everyone together. You cannot say, mages should be free, because not all mages should."

"Wha-?"

"Don't interrupt. You asked for my opinion and I'm giving it."

"But Cat-" Anders stopped again, realizing that Cat wouldn't budge on this, so he kept quiet.

"The same for templars, and for all people, really. There are some who enjoy the suffering of others, regardless of what power they may have, and they should not be free to inflict their will on others. The templars, and those in power, should also not group everyone together, saying that all mages should be caged because of a danger that might happen."

"So what is the solution?" Fenris asked, and Cat was surprised that he seemed interested, instead of angry, though she still smirked.

"I already said I didn't have it," she replied with a chuckle. "However, I will make one more point. A great man once said, 'with great power, comes great responsibility' and I believe that couldn't be more true here in Thedas." _Thanks Spiderman Comics for the quote..._ "Just as a King loses freedoms because of the duties placed before him, or grey wardens with their duties, or even children with their duty to their families… So do mages, lose some freedoms because of the power they receive as a mage. It may not be fair, but when is life ever fair?"

The group continued to walk towards the city in silence, and although Cat wondered if she had offended someone, she didn't regret the things that she had said. The situation between the mages and the templars, or the chantry, or even the local leaders… was something that needed to change. Cat didn't believe that there was an optimal solution, just that each group needed to be willing to bend, and so far, no one was.

They made their way back to Lowtown, and Cat and Isabela veered off towards home, as Hawke and the others went to confront Sister Petrice. Cat didn't like the sister, and would happily avoid all interactions with her.

"Get what you need, and meet us at the Hanged Man," Hawke called. "We'll head to the foundry as soon as you are ready."

Isabela waved in answer, and Cat headed into their small home. They gathered supplies, and changed clothes before heading toward the Hanged Man in search of food.

"Issy?"

"Yeah?"

"I need a favor." Isabela looked over, intrigued, as they walked. "I won't explain how, but I know that necromancer is in that foundry. I need you to promise me, that we won't leave until we find him."

"Kitty, if he's in there, we'll find him."

"It may not be simple, he's killed several women already without gaining any notice. I'm thinking he may be underneath the foundry, maybe have a secret passage or something…"

"This means that much to you?"

"Yes."

"All right, but if I do, I want that blue shirt of yours."

"Issy, it's too small, you came busting out of it last time."

"That's the point Kitty," she replied with a wink.

"You drive a hard bargain, but if your promise not to wear it around me, it's a deal." Cat held out her hand with her pinkie extended. She tried not to share too many things from back home with the others, but Isabela was a different story. They linked pinkies, in a pinkie promise, and Cat felt much better about going to the foundry. That necromancer had no idea what was coming for him.


	27. Chapter 27

When Cat and Isabela first arrived in Kirkwall, they had a few rough days. Cat had a pack on her back, but it was filled with things that she couldn't bear to part with, along with a change of clothes, and a little bit of money. The money had got them food at first, but until Cat had found her job, and Isabela had found the better areas for pick-pocketing, Cat had almost been tempted to sell some of her things. Now, as she readied herself to go after the necromancer, she was glad that she hadn't.

She buckled on her daggers, gifts from Isabela herself, though the thigh holsters were the original ones Zevran had gotten for her. She had almost put on her drake scale armor, it still looked as amazing as the day she had gotten it from Master Wade, but she knew there would be questions, and she wasn't ready to share that part of her life yet.

Cat also decided to bring her crossbow, even knowing that the others would probably realize she had been with them the night they had fought together the first time. But, Anders and Fenris already knew, and the world hadn't ended. Isabela may not agree, but Cat was determined to give herself every advantage.

Cat turned to her armoire and pulled out the blue shirt Isabela had requested, turning around and throwing it at her.

"There you go, blue shirt as promised. And remember, no wearing it out with me."

"Don't fret Kitty, this is for special occasions. Some men just need a little extra convincing."

"You would assume I know who you're talking about, but you flirt with everyone, so it's hard to tell."

"You know what they say Kitty, cast a wide enough net, you're bound to catch something."

"True. Maybe you could catch Carver… that would give me a nice break."

"You say that, but Carver has something going for him."

"Oh really, such as?" Cat asked as she sat to pull on her boots.

"He's got you aware of his intentions. That's more than the others have."

"Huh?" Cat looked up from her boots. "What others?"

"Kitty…" Isabela rolled her eyes. "I can't believe that you can be so blind. You practically have both Fenris and Anders wrapped around your finger. You could have either one of them in a blink."

"Wha-? Issy, that's not true." Isabela's look had Cat on the defensive. "It's not! They are both just men we travel with sometimes. Anders… is like my brother, that would be way too weird, and Fenris… well, it's complicated, but I'm not going there either. Plus, neither of them feel that way for me! You're just reading things into it that aren't there."

"Only because you aren't reciprocating! They don't want to act on it if you are going to reject them. It's been forever Kitty! At least the year that you've been here!"

"Issy, why are we fighting about this? I just don't need romance."

"Who said anything about romance? I'm talking about having some fun, releasing some tension! There are men and women all around you that would jump at the chance to help you let loose!"

Cat pinched the bridge of her nose. This was another endless debate, as Isabela could never seem to understand her stance. Hell, sometimes SHE didn't understand her own stance, so how could she expect others to?

"Issy, look, I really appreciate you trying to help, and I promise, I'll think about it. But for right now, I can't separate the two. I've never been one for casual sex, and I really don't want the complication of a relationship. If either of those change, you'll be the first to know, okay?"

Isabela wanted to push, but felt like that would just spur Cat's anger. So, she would have to push from the other end. Cat obviously didn't want Carver's advances, and though she had argued against both Anders and Fenris, her argument wasn't convincing at all. If that failed, there was always several professionals down at the Rose that could help.

"Okay Kitty. Are you ready? Don't think I don't see that crossbow. But… I suppose Hawke is about as trustworthy as anyone at this point. He already knows you can fight. Maybe using your crossbow will keep you out of the front lines, and safer."

"Knowing my luck, I wouldn't count on it," Cat replied as she opened the door.

"Too true. Well, lets go meet up with everyone, before Hawke decides to make changes to the schedule again."

"I'm way ahead of you," Cat said as she closed the door after Isabela had come through. "Though if Hawke even thinks of changing the schedule, I'll kick him in the balls."

"Promise?" Isabela asked with a laugh. Cat joined in, and laughing, the two of them headed to the Hanged Man.

* * *

"Hawke, trust me, that's not a good idea."

"I know Varric, but I'm sure they will go along with it."

"Well, here they come. I'll just be over there… far away."

Hawke squared his shoulders, and took a deep breath. He was the leader, he could handle this.

"Isabela, Cat… please sit down," Hawke said as the two of them came up to their table.

They exchanged glances, and Hawke looked between them, thinking that perhaps they were guessing as to what he wanted to talk to them about.

"I feel like I should tell Hawke what you said before we left," Isabela smirked at Cat as she sat down.

"I get the same feeling," Cat mused, also sitting. She smiled over at Hawke, her smile overly sweet. "But I'm sure Hawke wouldn't go back on his word…" her smile turned sharp, and Hawke realized he should approach this a different way.

"I will not," he replied. "But we have been approached with another job, and while there is a timing issue, I wanted the decision to be yours."

Cat sat back, surprised. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that," she said with one eyebrow quirked up in question. She glanced over at Isabela, and Hawke tried to discern their words from their minute gestures.

Finally Cat shrugged, and Isabela said, "We'll hear you out."

"I was given a share in a mine, just outside of town," Hawke began, which had Cat suddenly interested. __Dragons!__ was all she could think, and though she couldn't keep a straight face, she did keep her smile to a smirk.

Hawke continued, "but it seems that there is some kind of problem at the mine that we need to investigate. Both of these can be accomplished today, and if it were my decision, I would go to the mine first and the foundry afterward. But!" Hawke quickly added before either of them could get angry. "I gave my word, and it IS your decision."

Isabela looked at Cat, letting her know that it was her decision, since she was the one so invested in the necromancer. Cat didn't mind putting off the foundry for a little longer, as long as they actually did it. And, if they waited to go to the bone pit, the last survivor might not survive this time.

"I agree," Cat said. "It makes more sense to go to the foundry later, to ensure that the necromancer is there. He more than likely scopes out his victims during the day, when he is less likely to be noticed, what with the commotion of the shops." Hawke smiled, glad that Cat came to the same conclusion he had. "But…" She added, "we must find the necromancer. I'll regret it the rest of my life if he kills again when we could have stopped him sooner."

"I swear, I will not rest until we have investigated that foundry," Hawke said, placing his hand on the table, and nodding at Cat in seriousness.

"Thank you."

Hawke stood, "Now, we should get going."

Cat and Isabela stood as well, and the group started to head out, when Cat was pushed from behind her knees, and fell forward, splayed out on the ground.

"Kitty? You okay?" Isabela asked, though she didn't quite mask the laughter in her voice. Everyone else was chuckling as well.

"Ow… what hit me?" Cat asked as she lifted herself up to her knees. She was surprised to find herself face to face with an absolutely HUGE dog. They both stared, eye to eye, and Cat couldn't help but smile when the dog tilted its head in question. "Hi there. Can I pet you?" she asked as she held her hand out.

She was disappointed when the mabari moved its head further away from her. She had gotten along so well with Duran's mabari, Dog, right from the start. She wondered if that was because she had been in need of protection then.

"Hafter!" Hawke had turned, and was looking down at the mabari with a scowl. The dog in turn, was looking up at the mage as if to ask, "What? She was in __my__ way." Hawke scowled further, and pointing to Cat, "Hafter. Apologize."

The two of them stared at each other, both trying to win the contest, which had Cat laughing. Both turned, and Cat quelled her laughter in order to speak. "It's all right Hawke, I'm not hurt."

"That doesn't matter," Hawke replied without looking away from the mabari. "We can always take you back home to Mother." Hawke said, and Cat realized he was talking to the mabari, as he huffed, and went over to Cat. He lowered his head so she could pet him, and she didn't hesitate.

Cat started scratching behind his ears, "Oh, you're so handsome," she said as she moved her hands down under his jaw, continuously scratching. She was surprised when Hafter flipped and showed his belly, but she only giggled, and reached forward to rub his belly, continuing to compliment him. After a time, she heard someone clear their throat loudly, and she paused, looking up. Everyone was starting at her, Isabela rolling her eyes, Varric laughing, Fenris with a small smile, and Hawke looked gobsmacked.

"We should head out," Fenris said, and he held out a hand to help Cat up. As she reached for it, Hafter got to his feet, and licked her face, then headed over to Hawke's side.

The group started out, and Hawke continued to look back and forth from Cat to his mabari.

"What?" Cat asked, her head tilting much in the same way as Hafter's had, and Hawke smiled.

"I haven't seen Hafter take to someone that quickly in a long time. In fact, I think he likes you more than he likes Carver."

Hafter gave a "woof" in agreement, and Varric muttered "just like everyone else," which had Cat laughing quietly.

"So, Garrett... where did Hafter get his name?"

Hawke looked at her incredulously. "You've never heard the legend of Hafter? He's almost as famous as Dane."

Cat looked at him with confusion. "Um… I thought Dane was a river?"

Isabela and Varric chuckled as Hawke's jaw dropped. "I thought you lived in Ferelden for a time. How is it that you had not heard the stories of Dane and Hafter?"

"Uh… sorry?" Cat replied looking sheepish.

"No time like the present then," Hawke said. "Come walk with us, I'll tell you about it on the way to the bone pit."

"Okay," Cat replied, stepping up to the other side of Hafter. She was happy to find that he was tall enough that she could pet him as they walked, and the way he stuck to her side, she figured he was happy about that too. She listened to Hawke tell the story of the legendary man turned werewolf- Dane, and then Hafter, rumored as a son of a werewolf, and how they lived.

* * *

 _ _Rogue party!__ Cat thought to herself, __though we are missing Sebastian…__ She barely considered herself a true rogue, but it was more by default than anything. She couldn't really pick pockets or locks, but she was most definitely not a warrior nor a mage, so that left rogue. __I guess I can't call this a rogue party since Fenris is here,__ she thought with a frown.

Besides Hawke and Hafter, she was traveling with only Fenris, Isabela and Varric. As she thought about what they would be facing in the mine, she had worried that they would need the others, but she decided it was a pretty good combination. Ranged fighters would help keep the dragons distracted, Fenris was very fast for a warrior, and Isabela could use stealth until she was ready to attack, and Hafter would be able to distract the dragons in order for the ranged fighters to take them down. Hopefully all of that together would make for a good dragon fighting team.

"So, what do you think we'll find in here?" Cat asked Fenris as they headed into the open mine.

"Probably more corpses, just like outside," Fenris replied.

"Fair enough, but what made the corpses?" she asked.

"Spiders," Hawke called back to them.

"Ugh! Hawke that's not funny!"

"I do not think that was an attempt at humor," Fenris said to Cat, as he looked ahead. He pulled out his great sword, and looked back at her. "Try to stay away from exploding spiders this time," he said, and headed forward, his sword at the ready.

"Was that your idea of a joke?" Cat yelled after him.

"Sounded more like advice to me," Varric responded. "Watch it Freckles," he said as he shot a bolt past her.

"Freckles?" she asked with a grimace.

"Yeah, no good. I figured I would need to just try some nicknames out until the right one jumps at me."

"Well, I definitely want veto power," Cat said as she shot a bolt from her own crossbow.

Varric gave her a grin, "Sorry, that's not how it works. And what, you liked my crossbow so much, you got one for yourself? Not that I blame you, Bianca is awe-inspiring."

"Nah, I had this long before I met you, Issy just didn't want me using it," she replied, enjoying the distraction their conversation was. It kept her focused on killing the spiders without thinking about their size.

"Why not?" Varric asked Isabela, and she gave Cat a glare before disappearing to go after another spider.

Cat simply shrugged at Varric's questioning glance. "Though if it makes you feel better, it was a dwarf that inspired me to get this crossbow, since he wouldn't share his with me."

"Oh really?" Varric asked, a twinkle in his eye at the thought of a story. "Do tell."

"There!" Cat pointed to where a dragonling was silently coming up behind Hafter. "Hafter! Down!" she yelled, and just as the mabari crouched, her bolt and several bolts from Bianca struck the dragonling, and it wailed as it fell, then went silent.

Once all the creatures were taken care of, they regrouped. "Spiders and now dragons?" Varric stated. "No wonder the men didn't survive. They were just laborers."

"Laborers with no one to protect them," Hawke said crossly. "working in horrible conditions for very little pay, simply because there was no other choice."

No one commented, seeing that Hawke wasn't looking for comfort. "Come on," he said walking further in to the mine. "Let's clear this place out, so the workers can return and work in safety."

"Kitty?" Isabela asked, and the others looked over to see Cat bent over a dragonling corpse, seeming to pet it. "What are you doing?" she asked as she walked over to Cat.

"Issy, it's a dragon. A __real dragon!"__ Cat smiled, the child-like enthusiasm making the others smile.

"Yeah, a real dragon that would gladly rip your face off," Isabela scoffed.

"Meh," Cat said with a shrug. "They can't help that, it's just their nature." But she smiled and added, "and that's why we kill them instead of trying to keep them as pets."

The six of them continued on, clearing paths and caverns within the mine, taking very little time to rest. As they moved on, Cat started to wonder how much further the mine could go when a man literally ran right into Hawke.

Hawke, being much larger in stature than the other man, didn't lose his footing and grabbed the man's shoulders to steady him.

"Whoa there friend," Hawke said calmly.

"Keep your voice down!" the man hissed, terror written on his face. "We need to get away from here!"

"Easy," Hawke replied, keeping his voice soft and calm, trying to calm the other man down. "What happened?"

"We opened a new tunnel, and these… __creatures__ just started pouring into the mine, killing everyone! We all ran for the entrance, but, I must have gotten turned around. I was able to hide, but I could hear everyone screaming!" He paused for a deep breath, shuddering.

"Have we reached the end of the mine then?" Fenris questioned.

"No, that way," he pointed behind him, "is where we opened the new tunnel. I don't know how I ended back in there, but as I was looking for a way out, I ended up outside. I could see that is was a dead end, but suddenly this HUGE dragon landed! I ran as fast as I could, and I just seem to get more lost…" he face fell again, and he seemed so dejected.

Hawke gave his shoulder a light slap. "You're in luck then. Just follow the path behind me, and you'll make it back to the entrance. We've cleared out any creatures, and you will be safe."

"Really?" the man asked Hawke, looking at his savior with awe. He started walking, then stopped and turned back. "Please, don't go that way. That dragon will kill you all." He then continued, in a hurry to get out of the mine.

"Hawke?" Isabela questioned.

"We can't leave a dragon here. No one will be safe if we do." Hawke paused, looking around at all of them. "We can do this. Hopefully, it is just an adult. High dragons are said to be extinct, so it is manageable."

Hawke continued as he outlined his strategy for their attack, and Cat made sure to pay close attention this time, although there was no secret plan to hide behind a barrier. "Anders has been teaching me to use cold spells, but it is not something I have an affinity for… but I will try. Otherwise, Fenris and Hafter, try to back the dragon to one side so that Varric, Cat and I can stay out of range. Isabela, look for the vulnerable spots, we need to weaken it quickly, same for you two," he said looking at Varric and Cat, "eyes, throat…" he trailed off.

They all nodded, and steeling themselves, headed out, Fenris and Hafter leading the way.

As the group exited the cave, they came upon a large shelf of rock jutting out from the side of the mountain. The space was limited, and they followed the grating sound with their eyes, spying the sleeping dragon next to the cave opening.

Hawke came up to Fenris, his voice low. "We need to get it away from the cave. If things go poorly, it is our only means of escape." Fenris nodded, and looked over at Isabela.

"Can you go to the edge there and call out for it?"

She looked at him in alarm. "Are you crazy?" she immediately hunched her shoulders in worry, and everyone looked at the dragon with bated breath. They all sighed in relief as the creature kept sleeping.

"I merely want it to head towards you, then you can stealth, and get away as I attack it."

Isabela looked at Fenris warily, unsure.

"But what if the dragon just breathes fire, and doesn't move?" Cat asked quietly. Isabela's eyes widened, as if she hadn't thought of that, and looked pointedly at Fenris.

"Hmm… then I will shout and distract it."

"Let's just do that first!"

Isabela and Fenris continued to argue in whispers, until they heard to sound of Varric's crossbow firing. The group watched as the bolt struck the mountainside nearby the dragon, but away from where they were standing. They all watched with different amounts of apprehension as the dragon spread it wings and took off, looking on with awe, before it circled back and landed in the midst of them.

Its wings beat harshly, and before they realized it, they were all dragged forward. Cat crashed directly into the dragon's back leg, hastily scooting back to avoid getting trampled. She was tempted to look around for her friends, but the large clawed foot kept her attention, as it lifted, and came pushing back towards her. She rolled out of the way, avoiding being sliced in half, but felt a pain through her side as the dragon's claw grazed her. Her adrenaline was pumping, and she raised her crossbow, firing in the softness of the dragon's underbelly, then scrambling to her feet, and running to get some distance between them.

She kept moving, to her left then back to her right, keeping her distance from her companions as well, not wanting to give the dragon a tempting target to use it's fire breath or spit attacks on.

She could hear Hawke shouting, though it was hard to make out, and as she concentrated, she realized he was calling out the areas that he was using his cold attacks on so that the others could attack the same areas, and hopefully cause exponential damage.

Cat did her best to join in, but half the time she couldn't hear Hawke, and with Fenris and Isabela attacking those areas, she didn't want to accidentally hit them, so she went for other areas, focusing on the dragon's throat. With her companions moving so quickly, Cat opted to stay still for a time, using the moments to increase the accuracy of her shots.

The dragon reared and roared, and Cat found herself feeling dizzy, her equilibrium off. She teetered back and forth, holding her arms out to keep from falling over. After a minute or so, she shook her head, able to finally clear her mind. She looked around, seeing that the others were similarly affected, and realizing that she had just been stunned. She made a mental note to ask Isabela about a counter. If that happened with a regular enemy, she'd be dead before she realized it.

The group continued to hack away at the dragon, and its energy began to wane. After an extremely hard hit from Fenris' sword, the dragon wailed and held it's front leg protectively in by its body as it fell on the ground. Cat could see the others were as bolstered by this as she felt, and they renewed their efforts, sensing the end of the fight.

Cat raised her crossbow, moving closer as she aimed, trying to get her bolt as closely under the jaw as she could. She let out her breath and fired, watching as the bolt sailed over, hitting the side of the dragon's neck instead as it had turned toward Hawke. The fury on the dragon's face was suddenly aimed at Cat, as the dragon whipped its head around, a last desperate attack. Cat looked in confusion, the dragon seemed like it was choking almost, and made her think of a cat about to cough up a hairball.

"Move!"

Cat realized what was happening as someone shouted at her, and she moved as quickly as she was able, but somehow, even though the dragon had spit where she had been, the projectile followed her. She felt a barrier surround her, and she tried to jump out of the way, as the fire spit came for her. She heard the crashing sound of the barrier breaking, and as she felt the fire on her side, she began to scream.

* * *

Cat opened her eyes, panicking slightly as she felt herself being carried. She looked up, surprised to see Fenris holding her, seemingly without any difficulty. She knew he must be exhausted after their fight, so she struggled slightly, and said, "I can walk now."

"I wouldn't bother Kitty," Isabela said from beside her, and she turned her head to see her. "He's being as stubborn as a mule right now."

Cat watched as Fenris' eyebrow quirked up. "Oh?" he replied dryly. "So I should let Hawke try to heal her then?"

"I didn't say that…" Isabela replied.

"I feel like I missed something…" Cat said.

"Well Killer," Varric said, and Cat gave him a deadpan look. "Yeah, not that one either. The point is, even though the barrier Hawke put up took the brunt of the damage from the dragon's fire spit, it still burned you. The wound looks pretty bad."

"Yeah, I feel it." Cat replied. "I also took a claw swipe to that same side at the beginning of the fight."

"Ow." Varric winced in sympathy.

"That doesn't explain why Fenris is carrying me." Cat glared up at Fenris, trying to get him to put her down.

"You were unconscious, Kitty" Isabela pointed out. "Hawke offered to heal you, but…"

"But?"

"But they don't trust me!" Hawke finally spoke, and Cat could tell he was on her other side, though she couldn't turn far enough to see him.

"Um, why not?" she asked, though she wasn't certain she wanted the answer.

Varric, ever the diplomat, spoke up. "It isn't a matter of __trust__ Hawke. You said yourself that you haven't mastered the healing spell Anders was teaching you."

Cat could hear Hawke sigh grumpily behind her. "I know…" he muttered.

"And we all just want to ensure that Cat gets the best healing she can."

"Okay, but really, still not answering my question here." Cat interrupted.

"The others were arguing, so I simply picked you up and started back towards Kirkwall." Fenris finally said. "The faster we get you to the…" he paused seeing the look on Cat's face, and changed his mind "… Anders, the faster you will be healed."

"I see," Cat mused, supposing it could be worse, and her side was really hurting. "Well then, I guess I can only say, thank you. So, thank you, Fenris."

"You are welcome," he replied.


	28. Chapter 28

As the group reentered the city, Isabela turned to speak to Cat, but only smirked at the obvious discomfort she was feeling, still being held in Fenris' arms. Cat leveled a glare at her, knowing what was going on in her mind, and their earlier conversation coming back to her. Cat could try to explain about chemistry or the lack of sparks, but knew that Isabela would counter that she was in denial or some such thing.

As Cat thought about it, she couldn't think of how she would describe the state she was in. Mostly, as much as she was beginning to feel like she belonged here, she knew she didn't. There was still a chance for her to go back home, even if there was hardly any reasons to do so. She did miss her family, but in all honesty, they were all she had. She was undoubtedly let go from her job, and her friends, and most likely her family had all moved on and probably didn't think about her much.

She had been truthful with Isabela, she had old fashioned views when it came to relationships. She was romantic enough to still believe that once she gave herself to someone else, she gave it all. And that was most likely the biggest problem. How could she give all of herself to someone here in Thedas? She hadn't been able to in her marriage, what made her think she could succeed now?

 _ _And that,__ she thought, __is precisely why I can't have a relationship. I swore I would never have another like I did with Steven… pretending to be happy while a hidden part of me died.__

"Kitty?"

Cat shook herself, realizing that she had been glaring at Isabela the entire time. "Sorry Issy, got lost in my thoughts. What's up?"

Isabela glanced upwards, an attempt to make Cat smile in remembrance of all the times the crew had done exactly that whenever she had posed the question. She was rewarded with a giggle, and the smile that remained.

"I'm wondering if you want us to go to the foundry without you, or wait until you are healed."

"But Anders can heal me, so I'll be fine right after, and then we can go to the foundry."

"Not likely." Hawke said. "Healing takes care of the wound, but the body still needs time to recuperate. You will most likely need several days of rest for that serious of a wound."

"Oh…" Cat paused in thought. "I'd rather have it done, then worrying about what will happen if we wait, but-" she emphasized, "you need more than just you four."

"I can get Carver and Aveline to join us," Hawke offered.

"Fenris?" Cat asked, looking up at him.

"I can return after taking you to the healer."

Cat relaxed visibly, "If you take everyone, then yes, I would appreciate it. And remember our deal Issy."

"Of course Kitty, have I ever let you down?"

Cat grinned back, as Isabela came forward and whispered, " _ _Be sure to enjoy your time alone with Anders."__

Cat scowled, and batted at Isabela's shoulder to get her away. "Not funny," she muttered.

"Fenris, we'll meet you at the hanged man, say in an hour?" Hawke said, and they split off, Isabela and Varric heading toward Lowtown, Hawke and Hafter towards Hightown to get Aveline, and Fenris with Cat in tow started walking towards Darktown.

"Thanks again for this, Fenris. I know you don't like Anders, so I really appreciate it."

Fenris grunted, which Cat took to mean, "no problem". She was trying to come up with something else to talk about, when Fenris spoke instead.

"Do you remember the conversation we had when we first met?"

Cat, surprised, just nodded.

"While I do not believe you mean me or the others any harm, and you have been somewhat open about who you are…" his mild expression became a scowl, "but there are too many inconsistencies for me to believe what you say."

"Wait, what?" Cat asked, confused. "What does that mean, you think I'm a liar?"

"Much in the same way as the pirate, however while she does it for fun, or to keep people at a distance, you on the other hand, want to believe what you are saying and hope that others will do the same."

Cat just blinked, her mouth agape as she tried to understand what exactly she was being accused of. "I am not a liar. I may omit details about my life, but I do not make things up to fill their place." she started struggling against him, angry that he was still holding her gently as he demeaned her. "Let go of me."

"Then if I ask you a question, will you answer it honestly?" He asked, ignoring her demand to be released from his hold.

"Why should I? You'll just assume I am __lying."__

"If you answer honestly, then I will believe you."

Cat fumed, as she had to stop her movements because of the pain from her injury, and she had been unsuccessful in getting released. She didn't comment, but Fenris took her silence as consent.

"What is your homeland like?"

Cat paused, debating answering him at all, then realizing that she __wanted__ to tell someone something of her home, as she felt that it was slipping so far into memory that sometimes it no longer felt real.

"It was beautiful, lush and green in the summer, white with snow in the winter. My town was smaller, but there was a bigger city nearby, which had thousands of people. Life was…" she paused as she sighed, "simple. We had a farm where I grew up, though mostly crops, not too many animals." She sighed again, wigging a bit to get more comfortable. "My mother got a job in the city, and they sold the farm and we moved. It was much more hectic there, but I liked it also."

Cat stared out ahead as they moved into the under city, she'd need to keep her senses about her so they didn't get attacked.

"And the mages?" he asked hesitantly, which Cat wondered about, but mistook for the hatred and/or fear he felt towards them.

"There are no mages in my homeland,"she replied softly, feeling the jerk as his body tensed. "Because there is no magic."

Fenris didn't respond and Cat looked up at him. The look on his face was very scary, and she worried that he would at any time drop her and pull out his sword to slice her in half. So she did what she always did when nervous… she babbled.

"I mean, that's not the only difference! There, we didn't have to fight everyday. In fact we didn't even carry weapons, I mean, the police did, er, the guards. But that is just to protect others. We grow up, go to school, get married, get jobs… that's the norm back home. And, yeah in comparison, it's kind of boring… but it's nice to not worry about dying every day…" Cat waved her arms around animatedly as she talked, wanting to glace back to see if he still had that look on his face, but also not wanting to see it again if he did.

There was another uncomfortable silence, and Cat opened her mouth to speak again, but Fenris beat her to it. "And where is this land of yours?"

Cat deflated slightly, but was determined to tell the truth, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't kill her. "Not anywhere in Thedas, as far as I can tell. It feels like a completely different world… And, to top it off… sometimes I know things that will happen." Cat winced as she said that, preparing for the worst, the silence between them seeming to last forever.

"All right."

It wasn't often that she was stunned speechless, but Cat couldn't speak, just turned her head to gawk at Fenris. After a moment, she became coherent enough to croak out, "That's it?"

He in turn glanced at her, amused. "You were wanting something else?"

"To be completely honest, I thought you wouldn't believe me, think there was some kind of evil magic at work, and kill me. I have a hard believing it myself sometimes. How can anyone know what will happen in the future anyway? It's crazy!"

"Right." He kept an eye on her peripherally as he continued to walk.

"You are really not what I expected," Cat said, the uncertainty evident in her voice.

"Hmph," he grunted in reply.

"I mean, if I had been held captive by mages for that long, I'd probably not be able to trust anything that sounded like magic, or you know, want to destroy all mages or something."

Cat wanted to face palm when her brain finally caught up to her mouth, and she avoided looking at Fenris in her embarrassment.

"Well…" He drawled. "Not ALL mages," which had Cat glancing up at him. "Hawke is decent, I suppose. So far."

Cat took in his smirk, and realized he was teasing her, and started giggling, just as they approached the clinic door. "Here," she said between giggles as she reached out. "I'll get that."

"No need," he replied, and lifting his leg, kicked the door open with a loud "BANG". A few people that were inside, quickly moved out of the way, afraid.

"Cat?! What happened?" Anders looked from her to Fenris, practically hissing, "What did __you do?"__

Cat jumped in, wanting to diffuse the situation. "Hi Anders! While Fenris could do as much damage as a dragon, this time, it was an actual dragon- out at the bone pit. Fenris insisted on bringing me here, though Hawke offered to heal me." She spoke, as Fenris placed her sitting on a cot, all while glowering at Anders.

"What?!" Anders stopped his glaring contest with Fenris in order to grab Cat's hand. She had not seen him look like this before, so serious… and angry? "Cat listen to me, until I tell you differently, never let Hawke heal you. Understand? NEVER."

"Um… okay." Cat was shocked as Anders' face immediately brightened, and she almost wondered if she imagined it.

"Okay then, let's see what we've got."

Cat began lifting her shirt, with Anders helping her, to keep it from peeling her skin off as well. She felt movement, and lowered her arms slightly to look out over the fabric around her face. Fenris was now in front of her, and the way Anders was fixing his robes, he had obviously pushed Anders down. Fenris glared are her and growled out, "What are you doing?"

Cat had been in plenty of awkward positions before, but she couldn't think of ever talking to someone who was angry with her, while her shirt was practically over her head. "Um… taking my shirt off?"

Fenris' eyes narrowed. "I can see that. WHY?"

Cat's eyes darted back and forth between the two men, very confused. "Because… that's where the injury is?"

"Surely you can show the injury without completely baring yourself to him." Cat finally understood, and turned red.

"It's not like that-" she muttered.

"Excuse you. I am a __healer."__ Anders spat out. "I look at the injury, not the patient."

"Of course," Fenris replied, his eyebrow raised in mocking. "Then you won't mind if she keeps her clothes __on."__

Anders sighed, and came forward to Cat, helping her untangle her shirt from her arms. He helped adjust her position so that she was facing sideways, putting her burned side towards him, while Fenris stood nearby with his arms crossed.

"Ugh, why is __he__ even here?" Anders asked under his breath.

"Because he insisted on bringing __me here."__ Cat replied sweetly. "This is waaaay to much drama for a simple burn. I'm starting to think I would have been fine with Hawke healing it.

"No." Anders said quickly and with emphasis. "Remember what I told you." He gave an exasperated sigh. "Just hold your shirt over the injury please, and turn this way slightly so I can see it better."

Once the injury was healed, Cat realized that the others had been right. Not only was Anders exhausted from the effort, but so was she. Fenris watched as Anders helped her lay down, and pulled a blanket over her.

"Get some sleep Cat, you're body needs time to rest." She nodded in reply and Anders slowly made his way to his own room. Fenris came forward, and Cat asked, "Will you tell Issy to come see me tomorrow? So she can tell me about the foundry?"

"Certainly," he said. "Goodbye Cat."

"Bye Fenris" she said as she slipped into sleep.

* * *

About twenty minuted later, Fenris entered the Hanged Man, seeing Hawke sitting at a table with his brother, the guard captain, and the dwarf. He headed to the bar, seeing Isabela perched there.

"Cat requested a visit from you tomorrow, so she can hear about the foundry," he told her, causing her to to smirk, which he didn't really understand.

"Oh really? And she didn't request you?" Isabela asked him.

"No, just you," he responded, then turned to walk back to Hawke. He wanted to get this done with, and head back home.

"Is she okay?" Isabela asked, putting her arm through his as they walked.

He looked down at her arm, then back at her face as he replied. "Yes, she is healed and resting."

"Good." Isabela released him as they came up to the table. "Hawke, we're all here, let's get this over with."

"Agreed. I'll be glad to have this done."

"What resistance are we expecting?" Aveline asked as they all stood to leave.

"According to Cat, a powerful necromancer who is responsible for several women that are missing,"

"I hesitate to ask how she knows all this..." Aveline commented. "As well as his hiding place."

"We're going off that evidence from that templar, Emeric." Hawke replied, leading the way through the streets toward the foundry.

"Hmm." Aveline responded, unconvinced. "I suppose it can't hurt to investigate."

"If there is a necromancer, we will destroy him." Carver declared as he marched ahead to the building.

"Not so fast junior," Varric said with a smile. "If there actually is a necromancer, it would be better if we had a plan, not just barging in."

Hawke glanced at Carver, the displeasure evident on his face, and sighed. "Very well Carver, you can go first. But-" he added quickly before Carver ran in, "you have to have a barrier."

Carver's expression soured, but finally he relented. Hawke moved his staff in a simple pattern, and the barrier sprung up around Carver, who immediately raced into the foundry. The others all went as well, but at a much slower, almost nonchalant pace.

"It's so cute how he's trying to be the hero," Isabela commented, which had the others smirking.

"Too bad Cat doesn't seem to want a hero," Varric added.

"Wait, what?" Hawke asked.

"Please Hawke, you must have noticed," Isabela said to him with a roll of her eyes.

"Noticed what, exactly?"

"Men…" Aveline huffed. "He's been mooning over her since we met her, Hawke. Always trying to protect her, or walk next to her."

Isabela lowered her voice so Carver wouldn't hear them, though the way he was pushing through each room of the foundry, she doubted he was even paying attention. "Or coming to the Rose whenever he can…"

"WHAT?"

"Oh, really….?"

Varric and Hawke glanced at each other, not really understanding the others' reaction. "He's a grown man, Hawke, you can hardly blame him for pursuing a beautiful woman."

"It isn't that," Hawke muttered. "I just don't want him making her uncomfortable or anything."

Isabela laughed, "She can handle herself Hawke, no need to fret." Her smile turned sly. "Unless there's another reason you don't want men pursuing her?"Her eyebrows wiggled in suggestion.

"Of course not." Hawke quickly shut her down. "I'm just looking after my team, that's all. I would hate to lose the two of you because my brother made untoward advances. And besides, she's not the type of woman to bring home to mother, is she."

"I wouldn't worry," Isabela replied, ignoring the comment as she turned to head after Carver. There were here for a reason after all. "She doesn't pick up on most of what he's doing, and what she does, she ignores."

The group continued forward, further into the foundry, only to be stopped as Carver came back to them.

"This is the only thing I've found," he said, handing a ring over to Hawke.

"It looks Orlesian," Varric commented.

"Indeed. Perhaps Ninette's ring? Ghislain did say it was Orlesian." He mused a little more, then asked Carver, "Where did you find it?"

Carver gestured with a nod toward an open doorway. "Right there in the doorway," he stopped Hawke as he made to move, "on a severed hand."

The group looked at him curiously. "Really?" Hawke asked. "Just a hand?"

Carver nodded. "Cant' find a trace of anything else."

"Well, let's have our experts take a look," Hawke said, motioning for Isabela and Varric to take the lead.

The others stood back as Varric and Isabela entered the hallway, walking slowly, their eyes looking at every odd colored piece of wall or floor, looking for anything hidden in plain sight.

Isabela took her time, but she knew exactly where she should be looking. Cat had given enough detail, that she knew this hallway was where she would find the trap door to a hidden underground passage. She was suddenly very glad Cat insisted that they bring the others. Isabela was fairly certain now… they __would__ be facing a necromancer.

She made her way to the corner, calling out for Fenris to help move the barrels and sacks that were placed there. She grabbed the top of a sack, and prepared to heave the heavy thing away, and almost fell over as she pulled.

"What's wrong?" Hawke asked, as she righted herself.

"It's not heavy at all," she replied. She grabbed her dagger and split it open, looking in at the tufts of wool that was inside.

"That's strange, why would this be here?" Varric asked as he came over to look inside the sack. "It's fluffed out in order to take up more space in the sack."

"To make it look heavier," Isabela replied. She glanced over at Fenris with a questioning look.

"The same," he answered. "These barrels are empty."

"This doesn't make any sense." Varric complained. "Why store empty barrels and light sacks to look full in this corner? It's not like there is a trap door or anything."

"Wait, there's not?" Isabela looked over where he stood.

"Not that I can see." He answered, looking perplexed. "Were you expecting there to be one?"

She smiled as she did some quick thinking. "Wouldn't you, after seeing this stacked here?"

Varric nodded. "Good point."

Hawke joined them then. "If there isn't anything here, then we need to search the other rooms."

"No," Isabela replied, still searching the walls in the corner. "It's here. This isn't some misdirection, it is just very well hidden. But I will find it."

"You are certain it is here?" Fenris asked her.

"Yes."

"How?"

"I just know," she replied. The others kept talking around her, and Varric eventually gave it up as well. Isabela however refused to leave, knowing she would find a way in. This man thought he would never be found, but she would prove him wrong.


	29. Chapter 29

Isabela ignored the protests around her, focusing only on the problem at hand. She knew where the trap door __should__ open, but she was having an immeasurably hard time finding it. If it was any other situation, she would have denied there being a door there.

She looked behind her, seeing the scowls of her companions, and immediately putting that out of her head. __If I wanted to have a trap door that was basically invisible…__ she thought.

She suddenly whirled around, an idea so simple she wondered why they didn't think of it. "Varric? If you wanted to conceal a door from prying eyes, how would you do it?" she asked, as she continued to run her hands along the walls in front of her.

"Me, Rivaini? I'd hide the switch far…from…" he stopped as he realized what she was suggesting. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Unfortunately not," she responded. "We've been looking for something advanced, but it's really so simple."

"I'm not following," Hawke called out.

Varric turned to explain, while Isabela kept searching. "Basically Hawke, whoever built this door, made it with an extremely simple catch. The trigger is far from the door, so that if anyone found the switch, they wouldn't notice the door."

"Got it!" Isabela called, and everyone looked over to see a large piece of the floor slightly raised in the corner of the room. Isabela walked back over, and pulled up on the door gently, searching for a trap. "The barrels and the sacks kept the door from being visible if the switch was activated," she explained. "No one would be able to find this, if they didn't know what to look for."

She noticed the appraising looks, and smirked at the others. "I knew there had to be __something.__ I couldn't go back to Kitty empty handed. I promised."

She could tell they each wanted to ask questions, so she started walking down the steps under the hidden door. "You guys coming, or am I doing this alone?" She asked, and turning, headed down.

They took it slowly, hardly making any noise, with either Isabela or Varric in the lead to disarm traps. After an hour, Hawke called a break.

"I cannot believe how many traps there are," Hawke commented quietly, as he stroked Hafter's head.

"Definitely paranoid," Varric agreed.

"With good reason," Aveline added. "After the body parts we found, I'm ready to tear this man apart. He doesn't deserve to be taken in."

"There's no way to tell how many women he's killed, since all there was were pieces," Carver added morosely. "I'm suddenly glad we don't have women with us."

Everyone's eyes turned to him, and not realizing his mistake, he asked, "what?"

"I'm sure Aveline and Rivaini have something to say to that, but we should move on, or we'll be here all night," Varric said, rolling his eyes to Hawke.

"Yes, let's go before Aveline or Isabela kill my brother for his thoughtless words," Hawke replied dryly, earning a smirk from both women as they stood up. Carver looked from Garrett to Hafter, the confusion evident. Hafter gave him a look, then looked over to the two women and back again. Garrett tried to keep from laughing as his dog rolled his eyes at his brother. It took another minute, but Carver finally understood, and started sputtering.

"Well, obviously I didn't mean you two…" Carver tried to explain, but he was silenced with a look from all the others, and just huffed and muttered under his breath.

* * *

Cat sat up and watched as Anders escorted the last of his patients outside, and with a wave of his hand extinguished the lantern hanging outside the clinic.

"I'm sorry to intrude in your home Anders," Cat said again.

He smiled tiredly at her, but she could see it was genuine. "Cat how many times do I have to say it? I'm happy to have you here."

"I know, I just feel like I'm imposing…" she replied with a frown.

He came over to her, lifting her head with his hand under her chin. "You're not imposing. I'm glad you're here, and you can stay as long as you need to," he said softly.

"Thanks," she replied, returning his smile. She noticed him hesitating, like he wanted to say something. "What is it?" she asked.

"Look, I do not really know how to say this, so I suppose I will just be blunt, and hopefully if I offend, you will forgive me."

"Whoa, okay. That's not ominous at all." Cat scrutinized his face, but only saw the worry and hesitation. "Anders, I can't promise not to get upset, but I promise I'll forgive you."

That seemed to settle his mind, and he stepped back from her. She looked at him, confused as his cheeks went pink, and he started pacing back and forth. "Uh, Cat… I mean, I wanted to ask… that is…"

"Anders, just spit it out."

"Are you really working at the Blooming Rose?" he blurted, looking in her eyes. He immediately blushed brighter, and hid his head in his hands. "I'm sorry," she heard, though it was hard to make out from behind his hands.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, Anders. You've already heard me say I work there," she replied though she was smiling slightly with hope.

Anders sighed hugely, hoping she would just understand, so he didn't need to elaborate. "I know I've told you before, I feel protective of you, Cat. You're like my good friend and my little sister all rolled into one. And while I find it hard to believe that you are selling yourself… " he broke off at her sudden grin, uncertain of why she was smiling at him. "… if… if that is the truth, then I can only in good conscience insist that you let us help you find another job. You deserve so much better than that life."

His tirade over, he grabbed her hand. "Please tell me," he asked. "I do not like this feeling of failing you, if it is true."

Cat couldn't stop grinning, even when she tried. She knew, __she knew!__ True friends wouldn't just accept rumors. She felt vindicated in her earlier anger and disappointment. She stood slowly, and gave Anders a hug.

"Of course I don't sell myself, silly. You saw me, I couldn't even take my shirt off for a healer without blushing."

Anders returned her grin with one of his own. "I must admit, it had me perplexed."

"Thank you so much for asking. When Varric made a comment the other day, and I realized that that was what everyone thought, I was so upset."

"Well, to be fair, you did tell us you were __working__ there. What else would we think?"

"I guess…" Cat put her chin in her hand, staring across the clinic in thought. "Oh! I guess I'll have to swear you to secrecy, just like Varric."

"What? Why?"

"Because Madame Lisene asked me to say that I do work there now. Apparently people are asking for me? I don't really get it, but, I said I would."

"Asking for you? As in wanting your services? Are you crazy? What happens when they find out they can never have you?"

"Madam says that only her special clients get to see me, and there are no special clients, so everything is fine."

"You actually think it is a good idea to keep pretending you work there?"

Cat nodded with a grin. "Yep."

"No, it's ridiculous! And you could get hurt, or worse."

"Anders… please?" Cat employed all her wiles, uncertain though she was that she had any. But she stuck out her bottom lip, and tried to look like she was going to cry.

"You cannot really think that will work on me, do you?" He asked skeptically.

"Argh!" She huffed in frustration. "Please Anders, I'm asking as a friend."

"That's really all you had to say," he replied. "Of course. But!" He added before she could cheer, "the __moment__ something goes wrong with this whole plan, we find you a different job. Agreed?"

"Uh," Cat thought quickly, but didn't see a down side. "Agreed."

"Good." Anders nodded, then gestured for Cat to get back into bed. "You still need to rest, so your body can heal."

"Okay, but can we still talk? Or if you're tired, that's okay."

"No, that would be fine," he replied, looking around the clinic. "How about we move your cot into my room though? That way we can both rest while we talk."

"Okay!" Cat jumped up enthusiastically, and instantly regretted it. She held her hands to her head as it swam. Anders helped to steady her during her dizziness, and clucked his tongue at her.

"You need to take it easy Cat. Just because the wound is healed doesn't mean you are back to full health."

"Yeah, sorry." Cat put her arms down, as the dizziness passed and nausea took it's place. "Wow, I didn't feel this bad when we first met and you healed that cut in my leg."

Anders started hefting her cot to his room. "Actually, you probably did and just slept through it. That is what most people do after a more complicated healing." He set up the cot in his room, though across the room from his own. While he didn't care, and she most likely didn't either, he didn't want anyone thinking he was taking advantage of her… or worse.

He helped her get situated, then sat sideways on his own cot, his back against the wall. "So? What should we talk about?"

"Hmm, well, I didn't really have a topic in mind. I just wasn't sleepy after the nap I just had."

"All right. How about we learn more about each other then? While I feel a definite affinity for you, there are many things I do not know. I am sure you feel the same about me?"

"Oh, um, yes of course." Anders gave her a questioning glance, before turning and flopping down to lay on his cot. Cat did the same, laying on her back to look up at the ceiling. __Fenris seemed to take it pretty well… maybe Anders can handle it too?__ She thought.

"Cat?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just getting lost in thoughts."

"They must be pretty deep thoughts then. Care to share?"

Cat went silent again as she gathered her thoughts together. "Anders… have you ever heard of people using magic… to travel great distances?"

"Hmm, you mean like fade stepping?" He asked. "I confess, I did not know much about it, though Justice has enlightened me. The idea is that the mage bends the fade, placing two spots that were once far apart, now next to each other." Anders, also lying on his back, looked over as he demonstrated, spreading his hands apart, then mimicking a folding motion bring the two back to together. "The mage can then travel from the first to the second point in a single step."

"Could the mage do this for someone else?" Cat asked.

"Like bringing someone else along? I am not certain, though it certainly seems plausible."

"No… I mean, could the mage place the fade point in front of someone else? Causing them to cross a great distance without realizing it? Finding themselves somewhere completely foreign, not knowing how it happened?"

Anders sat back up, and turning, faced her. "I… cannot say." He pulled the tie from his hair, shaking it out and returning to his back. "Though I must admit this is sounding less and less like a hypothetical question, Cat. Can you not share your burden with me?"

Cat turned her head to see Anders looking back at her. He looked at her with such concern and caring, her face brightened slightly. "I want to… I just worry."

"If you are concerned that I will tell others, let me assure you that I will not."

"No, that's not it. I'm more worried that you'll think I'm crazy, or worse, under some sort of spell." Anders' eyebrow winged up at that.

"Perhaps I can relieve your anxiety," he replied with a wink. "I already know you are not under a spell. I found no trace of magic on you, besides my own. And besides that, I find you to be an honest and logical woman. If you tell me something is true, I will not dismiss it out of hand."

Cat gazed at him, scrutinizing his intentions before finally relenting, and laying back again with a sigh. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Very well."

Cat started at the beginning, telling him of how she woke up in Antiva, finding herself in different clothes, in an alleyway in a foreign land. She didn't give any specifics of Zevran, the months and months of keeping secrets was now practically ingrained, and she wanted to focus on her travel, not her previous companions.

"Wait."

Cat stopped mid-sentence, looking over at Anders.

"So what part of Thedas are you from then? You woke in Antiva, but how far did you travel?"

Cat steeled herself. __It's now or never.__ "I'm… not exactly sure."

Anders' head turned to her as well. "You don't know where you are from?"

Cat shook her head. "No, I know where I'm from. I'm not sure where it is located in relation to Thedas."

Anders brow lowered for a moment in confusion, then his eyes widened as he realized what she implied.

"Are you telling me that you are from somewhere __outside__ of Thedas?"

Cat looked at him, keeping her eyes steady as she nodded.

"Cat, that… that's just not possible." His voice lowered until he was practically whispering. He looked concerned. "Are you certain about this?" he asked, somewhat skeptically.

"As certain as I am that you're a Grey Warden."

"Wha-?" Anders looked at her, shocked. "Oh. Hawke must have told you." He laid back down, confusion and curiosity warring in him. "Right?" He asked, looking back at her again.

"Sorry, but no." She held out a hand, as he looked about to bolt up again, and she remained calm, speaking low to keep him calm as well. "There is no good way to explain, so I'll just tell you bluntly."

"All right…"

Cat used the same explanation she used with Zevran, speaking of a story, its cast of characters, including Hawke and his troupe.

"Let me see if I understand this…" Anders asked sounding exhausted again. "You know all of us, things about us that we don't know about each other even." She nodded. "From a story you heard in your homeland, which is some unknown distance from here." Cat nodded again. "And in the most likely scenario, you somehow travelled here magically, though you don't know how because magic doesn't exist where you are from."

"Yes."

"I…" Anders pinched the bridge of his nose, then rubbed his forehead as if to get rid of a headache. "I am sure you can understand how… __fantastic__ this all sounds?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, that's something at least," he murmured.

"But sometimes, we have to take some things on faith, believing in others. Not unlike the Warden Commander conscripting you. He had no reason not to believe the Knight Captain, but he went with his gut."

He looked at her in surprise, then turned back, gazing at the ceiling. She stayed quiet, knowing he was thinking through everything, and needed time.

His eyes came back to hers, and his face was sad, __and guilty,__ she thought. "Cat, I think… I need to sleep on this. It's not that I don't believe you! It is just a… lot to take in."

"Oh, well yeah! I mean, of course!" Cat stared as hard as she could at the ceiling, telling herself to not be hurt or disappointed. __How could Fenris believe me and Anders not?__

 _"_ You haven't told anyone else this… have you?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course not," she replied without looking at him.

"All right," he responded quietly. "Let's get some sleep, okay? Things will look better in the morning."

Instead of replying, Cat turned to face the wall, so that Anders couldn't see her face. She was determined to not be upset, but found that she was merely disappointed. __He didn't say he DIDN'T believe me,__ she told herself. __He just needs time to process it all.__ But however she spun it in her head, she couldn't help feeling let down.

After she finished brooding, tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, Cat got up off her cot. She looked over at Anders, seeing he was fast asleep, and hearing his soft snores every so often. She looked around the room, realizing that she just wanted to be home, and she wasn't sure exactly where that was.


	30. Chapter 30

Garrett put up his hand, signaling to stop, keeping silent as he looked at Hafter- his hackles were most definitely up. He turned his head, gesturing to his mabari for the others. They all looked to Hafter, then braced themselves for whatever may be waiting for them in the next room.

Isabela moved silently forward, sneaking forward to look into the room from the mouth of the tunnel they were in. She moved backward just as stealthily, walking several steps before turning and coming back to them. They all came close, listening as she whispered.

" _ _It looks like he's made himself a home here. It is a large room, with bedroom furniture, a table, some bookshelves…"__

 _"_ _ _Is he in there?"__ Varric asked just as quietly, receiving a glance, then a nod.

" _ _At the table in the middle. He looks like he's studying a book, taking notes."__

 _"_ _ _And the problem?"__ Aveline whispered, getting a shocked look. " _ _Obviously you'd have just killed him unless there was a problem,"__ she replied with a smirk.

Isabela nodded again tersely. " _ _The drop Is too high, and the staircase looks trapped."__

 _"_ _ _So if we sneak down the stairs we still have to worry about the traps, and the chance of losing the element of surprise is out the window."__ Varric said, annoyed. _"_ _ _Can't I just shoot him from the doorway?"__

 _"_ _ _It's not a great shot, furniture in the way."__

 _"_ _ _And a blood mage that is bleeding will be an even harder kill,"__ Fenris added quietly.

They were all silent for a minute, trying to think of a foolproof plan. Finally Hawke gestured to get their attention.

" _ _I'll create a distraction, you get down the stairs in one piece, then take him down before he kills me."__

Carver rolled his eyes. _"_ _ _We don't need you acting the hero, we need a good plan."__

However, the others didn't agree, or simply saw the determined- or one might say crazy- look in Hawke's eyes. They readied their weapons, standing in a line behind Varric and Isabela, ready to rush in once the stairs were clear.

 _"_ _ _Good luck,"__ Aveline said, touching his shoulder. _"_ _ _Hafter, with me."__ Hafter looked to Garrett, who gestured with a nod toward Aveline, then fell in beside the warrior. Fenris took his place in front of her, his position making better use of his speed. As Carver made to go ahead of her as well, Aveline gave him a dry look, that had him scowling, but returning to the back.

Isabela and Varric stood in front of Fenris, several feet away from the entrance to the room ahead, waiting to move once Hawke started his distraction. They watched as Hawke looked to be having a silent conversation with himself.

In actuality, Hawke was going through his repertoire of spells, determining the best course of action. He needed to have something to gain the complete focus of the other mage so that his friends could flank the man, while still keeping himself from major injury.

A wild thought grabbed his attention, and turning to the others, gave his friends a saucy wink. There was several different reactions, ranging from curiosity- Isabela, anticipation- Varric, indifference- Fenris, exasperation- Aveline and Hafter, and anger- Carver.

Hawke quickly placed a barrier around himself, then ran forward, bellowing at the top of his lungs. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!" He barreled forward, getting to the entrance and continuing, jumping off the edge towards the middle of the room. He watched with glee, as the man stood in shock, unable to react to the sudden intrusion. __That's right, focus on me,__ Hawke thought as the ground came at him.

The barrier crashed as he landed, and he tucked his large frame in, rolling to prevent injury, though he had most certainly earned more than a few bruises as he hit. He rolled into the bed, striking his head on the base.

"Ugh," he grunted, standing, though with difficulty. His vision swam, and he shook his head to clear it. He was happily surprised that it worked, and he looked up at the older man, just as a stonefist came barreling into his stomach, and he fell again, groaning at the pain.

"What is the meaning of this? Who are you?" The man glared down at Hawke, his anger curling his lip into a sneer. "How did you get here?" he demanded.

"Jumped," Hawke wheezed cheekily. "I mean, you saw that, right?" The other mage brought a dagger from his robe, threatening him without speaking. "The name's Hawke. And you are?"

"You came here without knowing? Are you some petty thief then?"

"No. I meant what I said. I'm here to kill you. I just thought it would be good to have a name to give the guards."

"Quentin. Though it will do you little good. You'll never leave here."

Hawke stood slowly, staring at Quentin, and pulled out his staff. "You give all mages a bad name. Killing women wasn't enough? You had to cut them into pieces to satisfy your twisted agenda?"

"You know nothing." Quentin spat at him. "You do not know my suffering, my pain. You know nothing of my power, or the glorious work I am undertaking!"

"Yeah, not interested," Hawke replied with plenty of snark. "Although I'm fairly certain there's nothing glorious of a necromancer's power over the dead."

Quentin smiled creepily, and Hawke eyed it with distaste. "As I suspected, you do not understand. I suppose that is something I can grant you before I kill you. Listen carefully." Hawke's distaste was still evident, but he had to admit he was curious. "Necromancy is not the power over the dead, it is the power over __death itself."__

"Oh really?" Hawke asked sarcastically, slightly disappointed, though he figured it made sense the crazy necromancer didn't have world shattering secrets. "So what, after I kill you, you'll come back to life?"

"You mock, but you only show your ignorance."

"Oh please, enlighten me," Hawke answered with a grin, aiming his staff at the other mage. He felt something hit him, and pushed forward with his own spell, watching in dismay as his bolt of energy went wide, completely missing Quentin.

"Wha-?" he said, looking down at himself to ensure he wasn't hurt, though he felt no pain. He saw the glyph glowing green around his feet, and he quickly moved to avoid it, and was dismayed when it stayed with him.

"You cannot escape from my misdirection hex!" Quentin cackled at him. He waved his arms, casting another spell, and Hawke could see the purplish cloud around him, recognizing the siphoning cloud. He could feel his mana being pulled away, and he moved back, quickly casting a spell to dispell magic.

Quentin continued to smile, and Hawke was thoroughly creeped out. "I do not need your mana to finish you," he called to Hawke, casting a spell at him. Hawke quickly released a defensive spell, groaning in dismay when he instinctively sent it behind himself instead of in front. He watched as Quentin's spell hit him, and he fell to his knees.

Hawke yelled out, unsure of what was happening. He could feel the damage he was taking to his body, but even worse, the images that he was seeing… as if every terrible, despicable thing that he had ever done, or even witnessed was combined in some sort of horrific reality in his mind. He grabbed his head, trying to get rid of the images, the voices, but being unable to do anything but scream.

"Hawke!" Varric yelled, sending his triplet of bolts to the chest of the other man, annoyed when they were deflected off a barrier, but running to Hawke.

"Release him!" Aveline called to Quentin, her sword and shield at the ready to run him through.

"Ah, so you didn't come alone after all? Clever to keep me unaware." he gloated to Hawke's shaking form.

His gloating turned to pain as a great sword crashed through his barrier, and twin daggers found their mark in his back. He retreated swiftly before these two could cut him again. His hand raised from his back, looking at the red staining his fingers, then turning his eyes to the intruders, he smiled.

"Now you die."

Hawke stood shakily, the spell no longer in effect, but the lingering effects of the hex still evident. The others rallied to him, giving him the boost he needed. He glanced to each side, then down as Hafter licked his hand. He raised his staff, pointing it at Quentin. "I don't like it when other people steal my lines," he growled.

"Now you've done it," Carver said as he rolled his eyes. "Now he'll say killing you is a matter of principle."

"Truer words have never been spoken, brother," Hawke grinned at Carver, before returning to face Quentin. "Shall we?"

Quentin scowled, and brought up a stronger barrier, fueled by his own blood. Several shades appeared, and Hawke's group scattered to take them on. Quentin watched in disgust as not only Hawke, but a few of the others kept a commentary with the shades, or with himself as they fought through the horde. He found himself getting nervous as he heard them tell him how they would destroy him once they reached him.

He pulled again and again from his wounds, powering spell after spell, and summoning all the help he could. He would not be stopped here! He MUST finish his work! The noise of battle became dimmer, and Quentin could feel himself losing the strength to fuel his barrier. He let it fade as he gave everything to end the intruders.

He panted, smiling as his spell hit them, stopping them in their tracks, petrified where they stood- through their blood, and none too soon, as they were all coming directly to him. He limped over to the leader, raising his dagger slowly, the loss of blood almost dragging him to the floor.

"You tried to stop my work, so you must die. My beloved __will__ live again, I just have to find her… scattered as she is…" His breath came slowly, and his anger grew as he looked at the people who almost stopped him.

He raised the dagger high, and smiled at Hawke. "Goodbye."

And froze.

"Sorry to interrupt," Isabela purred in his ear. She twisted her dagger, as she stabbed in and upwards to hit his heart. "Kitty gives her regards."

She yanked her dagger back, watching as his body crumbled to the floor. She followed his gaze, over to a painting hanging on the wall.

"My…. Be…lov….ed."

She watched, until he stopped breathing, then reached down to search him for anything valuable. She glanced over as the others moved themselves off the ground where they fell once his spell had worn off, though they came together to sit and rest from their fight.

Isabela came over, and joined them, sitting with her back to an armoire. "I'm suddenly wishing we had brought Anders with us as well," she commented as she found a bandage for the large claw mark wounds on her arm.

"I could-"

"No," Everyone replied.

Hawke scowled. "You did not ALL have to answer, you know."

"Once Anders clears you for healing, I'll be more than happy to let you, sweet thing," Isabela replied, giving Hawke a wink. "But I really don't want to end up like that slaver in the alienage." She shivered as she recalled the incident.

"That was an accident," Hawke whined. "Why can't you just let that go?"

"Hawke, your __healing__ sealed the man's mouth and nose closed, and he suffocated immediately. That's not easily __let go."__ Fenris commented dryly.

"But-"

"Hawke." Aveline's voice rang out, and had Hawke looking over. "You have to let these things go."

He promptly scowled again, and the scowl grew as the rest of his group laughed.

After a moment, Varric changed the topic. "So, if I heard correctly, that" he gestured towards Quentin's body, "was killing women to find pieces of his dead, uh, wife? And piecing her back together to then bring back to life? Did I get that right?"

"That's what it sounded like to me," Hawke agreed, as Hafter came and laid beside him, putting his head in Hawke's lap. "Though I have to admit, there is something… __familiar…__ about the woman in that painting."

"I agree, it's eerie," Carver nodded and replied. "She almost looks like Mother."

* * *

Cat knew she shouldn't have left. Anders was going to freak out when he woke to find her gone, but she needed fresh air- something she couldn't really find in Darktown. Inside the clinic, she had felt suffocated, depressed, and disappointed that Anders hadn't reacted as she had wanted, which made sleep impossible. However, as she walked through the quiet corridors, she understood that his reluctance to take what she had said at face value showed that he __was__ considering the possibility, he just hadn't accepted it as yet.

 _ _After all,__ she thought, __he didn't just accept the truth of my so-called job. He looked at every angle first.__ Cat suddenly felt better about the entire situation, hopeful that Anders would do the same thing for his new insight into her origins.

Cat turned the corner, passing by a group of men on her way to the large staircase out of Darktown. She did a double take at the man in the lead, feeling like she should recognize him, and it continued to bother her as she climbed the stairs slowly, still feeling a little sore from her injury. She concentrated so hard on remembering, that she didn't hear the men turn and follow her, not until a bag went over her head, and she was pulled off her feet and carried away.

* * *

Anders threw open the door of the Hanged Man, practically toppling over a table, but catching himself in time. He frantically looked in the main room, and not seeing Hawke, hurried to the stairs, and coming up to Varric's room, pounded on the door.

He fidgeted, intertwining his fingers, trying not to panic or break the door down as he waited for it to open. Aveline opened the door, and Anders simply pushed by her in order to get into the room. He rushed over to Hawke as soon as he saw him seated at the table in Varric's main room, calling out, "Hawke!"

Hawke was sitting to Varric's right, who was at his usual place at the head of the table. Carver, Isabela, and Fenris sat with mugs in front of them, and Aveline returned behind him, sitting back in her seat. They each glanced his way, looking annoyed, though Anders couldn't tell if it was because of him specifically, or just because of the interruption. Not that that would stop him.

"Anders! Sit down, celebrate with us!"

"Celebrate?" Anders asked, momentarily confused.

"Yes," Carver added snidely. "We made sure that __mage__ will never hurt anyone again."

Anders glanced at Carver, the feeling of injustice surging within him, wanting to be released, but he pushed it back down, focusing on why he was here.

"I can't Hawke, I need you. All of you! Cat is missing!"

There was a moment of complete silence, before Anders was bombarded with questions, insults, and accusations, everyone except Varric standing, and using wild arm movements to accentuate their comments, and then to top it off, Hafter began howling loudly.

Not moments later, they all had their hands over their ears to keep Hafter's howl from bursting their eardrums. Hawke quickly gave Hafter a nudge with his foot, to indicate he could take it from there, and Hafter stopped and sat watching, in case he needed to intervene again.

"All right everyone, first things first," Hawke stated, leaning forward with his hands on the table, looking at Anders. "In as few words as possible, __what happened?__ "

"I made her a bed, and we both went to sleep. I woke up, and she was gone," Anders said, his voice steady, but he was quickly losing his calm. "The blankets were folded, so she left voluntarily from the clinic, however, she wasn't home, and no one that I spoke to between Darktown and Lowtown had seen her."

"We're wasting time," Carver said gruffly. "We need to go back to Darktown, see if we can pick up her trail."

"She isn't an animal trying to evade hunters, Carver," Hawke replied.

"Maybe not Hawke," Isabela interrupted. "But she knows how to leave a trail for friends to find. We should look."

"We can ask around while they are doing that," Varric suggested to Hawke.

Hawke looked at his crew, each of them had already finished their drinks, grabbed their weapons and coats and were prepared to leave. He looked at Hafter, gesturing him to the door, and said, "It seems our night is not over. Let's go."


	31. Chapter 31

Cat continued to struggle, though there wasn't much she could do when she was being carried over someone's shoulder, her limbs tied, and a sack over her head. She focused her energy on her breathing, staying calm, and using her senses to try to pinpoint where she was.

She waited, biding her time, since there was hardly any noise besides the men walking, and the only thing she could smell was the sack currently covering her face, and she frankly wished she could smell less of that. She couldn't quite decide if the sack was used for dirty laundry or maybe something that had died, because it completely reeked.

After a time, she was roughly dropped down, landing painfully on her wrist, since her hands were tied behind her back. She groaned in pain, and rocked to get into a sitting position. Someone grabbed her shoulder, yanking her upright, and she felt a wall at her back, leaning against it as best as she could. She could hear the men around her laughing and talking now, and very quietly to her right, she heard what sounded like crying.

The sack was pulled from her face, and Cat winced, blinking to adjust her eyes to the well-lit room. She looked around slowly, noting how the men ignored her, even the one who had pulled off the sack, had thrown it on the ground and was walking away without speaking.

She looked to her right, and noticed a girl, probably in her late teens, wearing what Cat liked to think of as "standard mage attire". The simple robes, with the ornate woven belt, shoes that looked more like house slippers, and the cowl. She didn't see the appeal, especially with the purple feather adorning the top, standing up from her forehead. How anyone thought they hid the fact they were a mage dressed like this was shocking.

"Hello," Cat said quietly. "Are you all right?"

The girl looked up at her, her eyes darting from Cat's face, to the men around them, and back. " _ _You shouldn't talk, they'll punish you,__ " she whispered back.

 _"_ _ _I'm Cat,__ " she replied with a smile. _"_ _ _If we whisper, and keep looking forward, they won't notice that we're talking."__ There was a pause, but Cat turned her face forward, to prove her point.

" _ _Olivia,"__ finally came the response, though it was so quiet, Cat could barely hear it herself.

 _"_ _ _Do you know where we are?"__ Cat asked.

 _"_ _ _No, but I heard some of them talking about getting rid of us soon."__

Cat kept silent as a couple of men walked past, somewhat closely. Once they had moved past them, she whispered again. _"_ _ _So, do you know who they are, or what they want with us?"__

She could see in her peripheral vision Olivia's surprise, as she turned to gape at Cat, though she quickly hid her expression, and turned back to look forward. _"_ _ _They… are slavers. We've already been sold to them, and will be sold again."__

Cat's eyes narrowed, and she looked again at the men around her. Little things began to make more sense, especially why the man she had passed in Darktown looked so familiar. The robes, the cowl with a big centerpiece that made it look like he had horns growing from his head… and the large handlebar mustache. Dan… something.

Cat could recall the quest with clarity now, questioning the slavers in Darktown, trying to find Feynriel, the half elf who didn't want to go to the circle, and was sold into slavery while trying to make his way out of the city.

The people they were with now, seemed like the middle men. __Wasn't there some sort of captain, who kept them in a building by the docks?__ Cat thought to herself. Her eyes moved back to Olivia, as she remembered the mage girl who was there, who tried to run and eventually… turned into an abomination rather than be captured. The mage girl who left behind a note, that they took to her father, Thrask.

Cat closed her eyes then, thinking furiously. __There's no doubt that Issy will come, the question is when, and with who?__ If she could be sure of either, she could make a more concrete plan, however her first priority was now keeping Olivia from desperation- for Isabela's sake as much as Olivia's.

A burly man came in the building, and began walking toward them, followed by several others. Cat quickly spoke, no longer caring if they saw her speaking. She turned to head to look at Olivia.

"Olivia, no matter what, just stay with me, okay? They don't want to hurt us, because then they won't get as much money. My friends will get us out of here, we just have to play along for now, okay? Trust me."

Olivia watched the men coming nearer, her face showing her fear.

"Olivia!" Cat hissed, breaking through, and getting her attention. "It will be okay, stay calm. I'm here with you."

The men were on them now, one of them cutting the ropes from their feet, and pulling them up standing. The man who was obviously in charge stepped forward and backhanded Cat across the face. It hurt like hell, and Cat was wincing as she tried to look at him.

"I'm fine Olivia, just stay calm," she said evenly, though she couldn't see Olivia now.

"You've got balls, girl." Cat looked back at the man, his smirk wasn't one of amusement, and she could tell he wanted to keep hitting her. He refrained, probably in order to get a bigger payday. "You two come along without trouble, and you won't be harmed. Otherwise…" he raised his hand again, and Cat unwillingly flinched. "Got it?"

"I understand," Cat replied. "My friend is a little skittish, so if you keep her near me, it will help keep her calm. Mages can be __unpredictable__ when upset."

The man looked back and forth between the two women, not trusting the loud one, but the younger one definitely looked… off. It couldn't hurt to keep them near each other. The older one was obviously not a mage, and the younger looked scared enough to not try anything.

"Tie them together, and get going. You have until dawn." he shouted at his men as he walked off. "Oh," he stopped, looking back. "and I won't accept less than fifty sovereigns for the three of them."

* * *

Hawke watched as Anders paced in front of his clinic, berating himself quietly as he walked. Hawke didn't like that the man was blaming himself. Obviously Cat had left on her own, and it wasn't as if Anders had been tasked to keep her there.

"Anders, you need to stop, this isn't your fault," Hawke said as he halted Anders' pacing with a hand on his arm.

"How can you say that? She was under my care, and now she's gone!" After the shout, Anders deflated and added more quietly, "who else is there to blame?"

"I agree," Fenris added in, from his spot behind them, leaning against the wall. They were waiting for news from Carver and Isabela as they searched for a trail.

"Not helping," Hawke said with a turn of his head to Fenris, who shrugged. He turned back to Anders. "Cat is a grown woman, and she decided to leave. That's hardly your fault."

Anders face crumbled further into despair, as he scrubbed his hands over his face. "You don't understand…"

"So, help me then."

Anders looked at Hawke, noting again how noble he could seem. __He truly is a man of many faces, going from a jester, to a cunning rogue, a mighty warrior, a fellow mage who understood his need to rebel against the chantry. All in all, a good man to know, and call friend.__

"We were talking… and…" he stopped, unable to share details of what was most definitely a private conversation. __Cat had confided in him, he couldn't break that trust.__

"And?" Hawke asked.

"I upset her. I didn't agree with her, and I could tell she was upset about it. I suggested we go to bed, and we could speak more in the morning. Then I woke up in the middle of the night, and she had left."

"So?"

"What do you mean, so? Obviously I upset her enough that she felt she had to leave."

Hawke rolled his eyes at his friend. The man could twist anything to fit his own point of view. "Or… she could have wanted to think about your side of things. Or, she couldn't sleep and didn't want to wake you, so she went for a walk. Or any number of other possibilities. A simple disagreement doesn't make this your fault."

Hawke grabbed his shoulders to make Anders look at him. "Would Cat just leave the city, leave Isabela, because of your disagreement?"

"No." That was one thing Anders could be certain of, and so was Fenris, if the snort they heard was anything to go by.

"Then the reason we can't find her is…?"

"Someone took her." Immediately after saying this, Anders finally understood what Hawke was trying to get him to see. Even if Cat was upset enough to leave, someone else was to blame for her being missing. He felt the fury grow within himself. Fury at himself, for dwelling on his own feelings when Cat was in trouble, and fury for whoever had waylaid her.

Hawke gripped Anders' shoulders a little tighter, seeing the blue cracks growing in his skin, his eyes shinning an unnatural blue color. "Stay with me here, Anders. We need to find her first… then we'll get revenge."

"Not revenge… justice."

"Right," he replied. It was always disconcerting to hear that deep, otherworldly voice coming from his friend. "Just, you know… stay calm." He was relived to see the blue clear from his eyes and skin, as well as seeing the determination on Anders' face. It was so much better than the guilt.

"If you boys are done hugging it out, we've found something." Isabela spoke up from across the hallway. The three men walked quickly over to join her, following her down the alleyways. After a few turns they came upon Carver, who was crouched, and looking intently at the ground.

"You've tracked them this far?" Hawke asked, looking at the ground and trying to see what his brother was seeing, but only saw dirt.

"Yes," Isabela replied. She used a hand on Hawke's shoulder to turn him toward the wall. "See this mark here? That's from Cat."

"Wait, this dark mark?"

"No, I'm fairly certain that's blood." Shaking her head, Isabela followed the scratch on the wall with her finger. "This mark. She used her boot to make this."

"How can you tell? It looks completely random," Fenris asked, looking intently at the mark.

"Because I taught her how to do it," Isabela sighed. "Look, do you really want me to explain it? That will take time Kitty may not have. Or, you can trust me, and we go get her back."

"We trust you, of course," Anders answered for everyone, and the others nodded along.

"Good. Here's the tricky part." She gestured towards Carver, and he took over the explanation.

"They most definitely went this way, however there are more tracks heading east," he pointed the opposite direction, which was the way towards Lowtown.

Isabela interrupted, "We've already gone some distance in both directions. There are a group of men this way, but no sign of Kitty. However, they may be our only lead, because we couldn't find any sign of her that way," she said with a nod towards the east.

"Then we find out what we can from them," Hawke said decisively. "We have no time to lose." He reached out a hand to Carver, helping him stand. "Lead the way, brother."

Carver nodded and strode off. They followed quietly, each of them separately hoping to receive the answers they needed to find their friend. After a few staircases, they stopped momentarily, Carver pointing out the group of men loitering in a corner of Darktown.

Hawke nodded, and took the lead, walking the down the last flight of stairs towards the men. As they were noticed, the men stood and gathered around their leader, a man dressed in robes, and large cowl, with a thick handlebar mustache and small, squinty eyes.

"Excuse me friend, but we're looking for a friend of ours, and it seems she may have come this way, perhaps a few hours ago?" Hawke asked civilly. He didn't like the look of these men, especially if they had come across Cat all alone, but he had no proof… yet.

The man in charge smirked, "Nobody comes to this part of Darktown without my say so. This is my territory."

Hawke smiled charmingly. __This man obviously knew something, the smirk gave him away, but two could play this game.__ "Ah! We found the right person to ask then. She's about yea tall," he said while showing Cat's smaller stature with his hand by his neck. "Dark hair, pretty thing. Any chance you've seen her?"

"Sorry, __friend.__ As you can see, no pretty things around here."

"Liar." They both turned at the sound of Isabela's voice behind the men. She had a man in a choke hold, a dagger pressed to his throat. "Show my friends what you've got in your hand, big boy."

The man scowled, but held up his hand, showing off the long dagger. It appeared to be a normal dagger, but when Hawke looked closer, he noticed the blue color of the handle, with the blue dyed leather fringe hanging from it. It was one of Cat's daggers, and not only that, but one that she hardly used because she prized it so fiercely.

"She would never willingly part with that," Fenris said quietly.

Hawke, Carver, Fenris and Anders all turned at the same moment to glare at the leader, who flinched slightly at the heat of their glares. Then he smirked.

"Looks like we have a few more volunteers, boys. Clap 'em in irons, and let's see what the Tevinters will pay for 'em."

"Slavers," Carver spat out. Hawke could feel the tension around him, his group ready to kill them all, but he didn't have time to mess with this filth.

"Fenris… I need answers from him."

Fenris tilted his head slightly, then the slightest of smiles graced his lips as he strode forward. His skin seemed a beacon in the darkness of the area as his tattoos flared to life, and he pushed his hand directly into the man's chest.

To say the man was surprised would've been an understatement, and he grunted in shock and pain. Expecting to be impaled, but still breathing, he looked down, eyes widening in shock from seeing the arm protruding from his chest, with no blood. His knees buckled, but he was held upright, and felt a pain he had never experienced, feeling as if his heart was being squeezed, like the grip would continue until his heart was squashed into paste.

Fenris gave no sign of emotion, as the man panted, the heart picking up its pace in his hand, and he gripped tighter, holding back only enough to let the man still speak. "Where…. is…. she?" he growled out menacingly.

"We… we sold them to a ship captain…" the man wheezed, all confidence and bravery gone as he faced his own demise. "In… Lowtown." He panted, trying to gain enough air to continue. Talking was much harder than he had thought it would be, his heart racing as if he had been running for hours. "He took them… to the docks. That….that's all I know…"

Fenris said nothing, just crushed his fingers tighter, and the man wailed. "I… I swear! That's all I know!" With satisfaction, Fenris brought his fingers into a fist, crushing the soft organ in his hand, and retracting his hand so the man fell into the dirt, lifeless.

The other men around him immediately put their weapons down, surrendering, while the others that were further away, gave battle cries. Isabela made quick work of the men on the outskirts, stealthily moving in and out of the surrounding shadows.

Anders cast Haste on his friends around him, speeding their movements, though to each of them, they were moving as normal, and the enemies around them were moving slowly. Fenris and Carver used their large swords in sweeping arcs, cutting down several men at once, and Hawke cast Winter's Grasp, freezing the last few in place before Carver shattered them into pieces.

"Thirty seconds to loot, Isabela, then we're leaving," Hawke called out, catching his breath and stowing his staff.

"As if I needed that long," Isabela scoffed from the staircase. "Let's move slowpokes."

* * *

Isabela grabbed the handle of her dagger and pulled it out of the captain, flicking it a few times away from herself to clean the excess off. She looked up, noting the angry expressions on the others' faces. "What?" she finally asked, with a shrug.

"What?!" Hawke asked back sarcastically. "We needed to question him!"

"Did we really though?" She asked back with overt sweetness, batting her lashes.

"What do you know that we do not?" Fenris asked accusingly.

"Oh, just where they took Kitty. The man over there tried to bargain for his life,"she replied, gesturing to one of the bodies with her dagger as she spoke.

"You could have said so," Hawke grumbled. "I wanted to kill him myself."

"I'm sure I can think of a way to make it up to you, sweet thing," Isabela purred, stepping closer to Hawke.

"We don't have time for this," Anders spoke up. "Where are we headed now?" He asked Isabela.

"The wounded coast," she replied, and Carver groaned.

"What is with these slavers? This better not be some wild goose chase."

"A little advice?" Isabela offered as they headed out of the city. "Don't refer to Kitty as a wild goose again. She wouldn't appreciate it."

"I wasn't… that wasn't what I… you know I didn't… ugh! Women!" Carver spluttered. Isabela laughed, and started jogging ahead.

"Let's go boys, I want to be back in time for breakfast!" she shouted behind her, and for a moment, they enjoyed the joke on Carver, before steeling themselves for the fight ahead, and jogging after Isabela.


	32. Chapter 32 - To the Rescue!

"Olivia, I need you to stop crying now." Cat rubbed her temples with her index fingers, wondering how long one person could cry continuously. "I'm telling you, we'll all be fine."

Feynriel watched the two of them with wide eyes, and Cat could see the hope in his face, before despair took it over again. "I wish that were true, but how could we possibly get free of them?" he asked quietly.

"My friends are coming for me, and they don't like slavers." Cat said with conviction, nodding to him.

"Your friends?" He asked her, sounding wistful. She could see the loneliness etched on his features, and knowing they would be left here until they were going to get moved again, she decided to talk to them about Hawke and his group. Perhaps doing so, would help distract Olivia from her tears as well.

"Yeah, they are quite the rag-tag group, but together, they are amazing!" Cat said,leaning back against the cave wall. "First there is Hawke… uh, how do I describe him?" She laughed a little, picturing her group of friends. "Well, he's a mage, leaning more towards the elemental and primal schools." She smiled as Olivia's head came up, and Feynriel leaned closer. "He likes to be in control all the time, and has a schedule for all the jobs he takes, and gets upset when something interrupts or changes his schedule."

"Sounds like my father," Olivia said with a smile, and Cat beamed back at her.

"Well, for how strict he can be with that, he's fairly light-hearted, and cracks jokes pretty often, mostly at the expense of his younger brother, Carver." Cat took in the expressions of both of the younger mages, happy that her distraction was working so well. She went on to describe each of her friends, wondering to herself when she had become so attached to them all.

It all happened so fast, similarly with Zev and the wardens. She had assumed it was because they were travelling together, alone, that whole time, but here with these people… why was she attached, so quickly?

Cat continued to speak, relaxing as she told of Varric, Aveline, Carver, Fenris, and Isabela, and finally Anders. Just as with Hawke, the two young mages became rapt when she spoke of Anders, telling them about his clinic, and his desire to get more freedom for mages.

Afterwards, they sat in silence for a little while, until Feynriel posed the question. "What will happen to us? Even if your friends do come?"

Cat thought for a moment before answering. "Well, the way I see it, both of you have three options." They looked at her in surprise.

"We would?" Olivia asked tentatively.

"Yup," Cat answered, "And we're going to let you decide which one you want. Though they are slightly different for each of you." Cat sat up straight, and looked between the two of them. "First option, we could take you to the circle. The first enchanter will help ensure your safety, and while it would be difficult, what with the templars cracking down on the rules and such… but, you'd be with other mages, get a foundation for your powers , and that is something."

Both Feynriel and Olivia looked less than thrilled at the option. "The second option, we'd let you go, and you'd find your own path. You'd be free, but it would be difficult." She watched as both of them shook their heads, fear written on their faces. "Yeah, I wouldn't want that either, but it is an option. The third option, is where things would differ."

Cat turned to Feynriel, "Feynriel, if you don't want to go to the circle, your other option would be… the dalish."

"Pfft," Feynriel scoffed. "I'm not dalish, Cat. They have already rejected my mother, simply because she wouldn't give me up. Why would they accept me now?"

"Although I don't agree with it, the main reason would be because you are a mage. This particular option isn't necessarily better, but it __is__ an option. Being with the dalish will keep you safe from the templars, and the keeper will help you just as the circle would to control your magic. The dalish clan here has hardly any mages, so they need to accept you, even if they didn't want to."

"That's hardly any better," he groused. "Although, it had crossed my mind in the beginning, I will admit."

"I will tell you now however, that it would only be temporary." Cat responded. "Your powers, from what you've told us, are different than what mages here have dealt with. Eventually, you'd have to seek out help in other places, if you want to be able to master them."

"Hmm…" Feynriel replied, deep in thought. Cat nodded at him, and turned her attention to Olivia, who smiled sadly back at her.

"My father is a templar, Cat, I really have no other option. Look what trying to run away got me. Captured by slavers and…" she cut herself off, the tears starting in her eyes again. "Cat… I'm… afraid."

"We're all afraid Olivia, but we have to help each other stay strong."

"You don't understand!" she shouted suddenly, taking both Feynriel and Cat aback. They watched the door warily, expecting for a guard to stride in and demand to know what was going on.

"I can't understand unless you tell me," Cat replied gently.

"Back there… back at the docks. I was so afraid, so desperate… I… I … I heard it," her voice had dropped so low, that Cat and Feynriel leaned forward so they could hear her.

"Heard what?" Feynriel asked.

Olivia looked ashamed, and tears once again made their way down her cheeks. "A demon's voice," she answered. "It offered to help me, to __save me__. And.. I honestly thought, that I had no other choice. And if I was going to die, I wanted to take some of those evil men with me. I… I was ready to give in, and accept it's offer."

Cat lowered her head, taking a deep breath, and wondering what she could possibly say to her to ease some of the guilt she was feeling. There was nothing like looking back with regret.

"I understand, more than you might know," Cat finally said. "True, I am not a mage, and haven't been tempted by a demon, however there are many decisions that I have made, that looking back on, make me feel ashamed, or guilty."

"All I can say to you, is that no matter what happened, you didn't give in. Whether it was because of someone or something else, that doesn't matter." Cat finally raised her head, looking Olivia in the eyes. "Now, it means that you have a chance to make better decisions, to learn from that experience and become stronger. And perhaps next time, you will be the one that keeps someone else from making that huge mistake."

"Do you… really mean that?" Olivia asked in awe.

"Of course I do. Everyone makes mistakes, and some are more disastrous than others, but that doesn't mean we don't keep trying." Cat smiled, "Would you like to hear about that third option?"

Olivia let out a small laugh. "More than anything," she said.

"Well, I'd have to run the idea by Anders, but… I was thinking he could really use some help in that clinic of his…"

Cat went on to detail her idea, explaining how there would be some freedoms, and yet the necessity to hide would make life rather difficult. There wasn't a sure solution for these two, but Cat was glad that they had enough hope now to be seriously considering what they would do once they were rescued.

During this time of contemplation, they started hearing a loud commotion outside their room, though it was hard to make out what was going on. The door slammed open, and men rushed in, tying their hands, and pulling them to their feet.

"Let's go! Move it!" One of them shouted from outside the door, and Cat was practically dragged out of the room, followed by Feynriel and Olivia. The large man who had purchased them stood in front of them his expression thunderous. "We're taking them further in. Take care of the intruders!" and with that he stormed off away from the entrance and the other men followed, dragging Cat, Olivia and Feynriel with them.

"ISSY!" Cat screamed, unsure of who all had come, but knowing they must be her friends. "HAW-" Cat was silenced with a hand over her face, and she found it difficult to breathe. Her heart was pounding, with the suddenness of their movement, and she wished she had one of her daggers to make these gorillas pay for man handling them.

"Scream again, and I'll gut you," the man holding her spit in her ear, and she flinched away as she was roughly pushed forward. "Get moving," he said to her, and she strode forward, taking moments here and there to make deep grooves in the ground with the heels of her shoes.

"You'll regret this," she muttered, as he pushed her forward again.

* * *

"Did you hear that?"

"Who didn't hear that?" Carver replied. "That scream probably echoed through the entire cave."

"Well, at least we know we're in the right place," Isabela smirked as she ducked back behind a wall to dodge an arrow, then flung a dagger out, and retreated again. She smiled when she heard the cry of the man she threw it at. "Though this is taking longer than I would have thought."

"Hawke? You okay?"

Garrett looked over at Anders, and realized he was scowling. __I really don't want to explain that I'm upset that Cat yelled for Isabela and not me. It would make me sound like a petulant child that wasn't chosen first in a game, or worse. Oh Maker, I sound like Carver…__ That thought made him straighten up, and he finally answered, "Yes, I'm fine."

"All right, if you are sure…" Anders replied, unconvinced.

"I am simply tired. Let's kill all these slavers, and go home to bed."

"Best idea I have heard all night," Fenris replied, a wicked light in his eyes. His tattoos flared to life and he re-gripped his sword while striding out from his cover. He made quick work of the men blocking them, and the rest of his companions joined him.

"Which way did they go?" Anders asked, as he looked down several tunnels. Each of them were equally dark, and he was amused to note that Fenris' tattoos were the source of light for their group.

Isabela and Carver immediately started looking around, for any indication of which route to take.

* * *

Cat was pushed up against a wall, the man's disgusting hand placed over her mouth again. She was really getting sick of having to breathe in his stench. __Did slavers not believe in bathing, like ever?__ she thought. She could hear the sounds of battle go silent, and then the soft murmurs of voices. The man holding her was so intent on the hallway leading to the room where they had some from, and Cat found herself peering down the tunnel as well.

She wondered where the soft blue light was coming from, it made her think of veilfire, but she knew both Anders and Hawke were not aware of…

 _ _Fenris!__ She smiled as she realized that the glow was from his tattoos, she had seen them a few times now to be relatively certain. The man in the front indicated for several of those following to stay and kill the intruders, and Cat was pleased to see that the man that had threatened her was one of them. Another man grabbed her arm and began to cart her away, and she acted cowed, until she was past the group of men staying there.

"FENRIS!" she screamed, and smiled as the odorific man turned to glare at her. He would get exactly what was coming to him.

"Aaah!" Cat whirled around, to see that another man had pulled Olivia's arm tightly at a bad angle, and another had Feynriel at sword point.

"Get moving, and quietly, or I'll kill you all," the lead man said, then he turned and rushed forward, the rest of them coming behind him. Cat did her best to stay quiet… for now. She was certain the others would catch up to them soon.

* * *

"FENRIS!"

All at once, their heads popped up, and as a group they made their way down the darkened tunnel.

"Aaah!"

They paused momentarily, but continued in pursuit. Due to the darkness, they couldn't move quickly. That, combined with the second scream, put Isabela on edge.

"That didn't sound good," Isabela said. "She should not be pushing her luck."

"But it is helping us find her more quickly," Anders muttered, obviously upset.

"Certainly," Fenris responded sarcastically. "Until they kill her and leave her body in order to escape. The pirate is right, she is being reckless."

Fenris rounded the corner, and dodged an incoming arrow, then surged forward in a powerful scythe move, cutting two men in half with his swing. The momentum sprayed blood everywhere, and had the rest of his group stopping. Fenris killed the remaining men quickly, then turning said, "Come, we must hurry."

"Impressive," Isabela murmured, as the four of them made their way gingerly around the gore.

"More like savage," Anders muttered in reply.

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing," Isabela said. "Women like a bit of savagery in their men."

Isabela smirked as the three men with her practically tripped over their own feet in their shock at her words.

"What?!"

"Really?!"

"No!"

Now she was laughing, as Anders and Carver glared daggers at Fenris' back, and Hawke looked like someone stole his favorite treat. It amused her greatly that Fenris either didn't notice, or didn't care the ire he was receiving, and best of all, that Cat had no idea all of the drama she inspired.

* * *

"AAAHH!"

"ANDERS! HELP!"

The group immediately forgot everything else, and rushed forward into a large room. At their feet, a young girl lay bleeding, and at the top of a staircase, a boy and Cat were held at knife point.

"Please… please help… her!" Cat struggled to get out, while keeping the dagger away from her throat. Anders went quickly to the girl, and began to heal her, while Carver stood nearby to keep him safe.

"That's far enough," a man stepped in front of Cat and her captor. "Come any closer, and they both die."

"I'm sure we can work something out," Hawke said as he took another step closer.

"NO!" both the man and Fenris shouted at once, and then glared at each other.

"You won't be getting away with them, I'd cut my losses if I were you." Hawke added much more sternly.

"So you can kill me? Not likely."

Hawke continued to speak with the man, though he was watching Cat's face. It seemed she and Isabela were having another silent conversation, but he knew he should do his part and keep the man busy, although he could feel the frustration pouring off of Isabela in waves.

"Well, it seems then, that we are at an impasse…" Hawke began, and at that moment, Isabela threw a dagger, and a moment later it was embedded in the man that was holding onto the boy.

Cat used the distraction and threw her head back, into the face of the man holding her. She pulled her hands up, gripping the dagger in front of her to keep herself from being skewered. The man was stronger then she was, but she put all her strength into it.

Suddenly the resistance was gone, and she pushed the arm forward with a resounding, "crack!" She fell forward on her knees, looking at the now severed and frozen arm in front of her.

"Ugh!" Cat reeled back, looking up when her back hit something solid. The man, minus an

arm was frozen solid behind her. Isabela grabbed her arm, and helped her up. Cat shivered, "I'll never be able to forget that sound… I broke that guy's arm off!"

Isabela smiled, and put her arm around Cat. "You've done much worse in the past," she said.

"I know, but…" Cat shivered. "that sound… gives me the chills."

"That's just your proximity to the freezing spell," she said brushing off frost from Cat's back.

"No, but I appreciate what you're doing," Cat replied with a smile.

"Anytime!" Isabela smirked back.

"CAT!" Anders came running up, grabbing Cat's shoulders and looking her over. "Are you wounded?"

"No, I'm okay. But, how's Olivia?"

"The girl?" Anders asked, looking over his shoulder. "A little worn out, but she'll be fine."

"Oh! I was so worried! Thank you so much!" Cat exclaimed, pulling Anders into a hug. It shocked him at first, and then he wrapped his arms around her as well.

"It's no problem, I'm just glad you're okay." Anders responded quietly, squeezing her tightly.


	33. Chapter 33- Change is Inevitable

It had been a long time since Cat had gotten a good platonic hug. Zev and Alistair often asked for her "good luck battle hugs", but she always felt there was something under the request that kept her from prolonging them. Hugging Anders was different, like how she imagined hugging a best friend would feel. Even hugging her brother hadn't felt this good.

"Cat."

Cat looked over at Hawke, though Anders didn't break their hug, so all she could do was turn her head. "Yes?" she asked.

"I would like a word."

"Right," she said, pulling out of Anders' grip with a smile to him, and a pat on the arm. It looked like they were taking a break before heading home. She sat down, across from Hawke, and said, "What's up?"

"How about telling me why you left Anders' clinic in the middle of the night," Hawke snapped, "giving no indication of where you were going?"

Cat froze. Hawke's words were much more forceful than she had been expecting, and while not untrue, it seemed a bit harsh. She looked over at Anders, biting her lip to keep from asking him what he told the others.

"I'm so, so sorry Anders. I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to disturb you. I thought I would just go home, and perhaps the fresh air and walk would help."

"It's fine Cat-"

"It is NOT FINE," Hawke interrupted Anders. Cat was so confused, because while his voice was stern, he didn't __look__ angry… in fact his face was oddly blank. "Alone in Darktown is one thing- and this has nothing to do with you being a woman," Hawke stopped her argument in it's tracks, before she could say a word. "You were injured, alone, and in the middle of the night walking through Darktown. It was not only reckless, it was the most stupid thing you could possibly do."

Cat reeled back slightly, unsure if she was angry or guilty, and not liking the feeling. "I thought-"

"Obviously, you did __not__ think," Hawke interrupted her. "otherwise none of this would have happened. Now after fighting __your__ necromancer, we had to go running into fight after fight in order to rescue you."

Cat stayed quiet, her frustration and guilt mixing to curdle in her gut. __He wasn't even listening!__ She wanted to lash out, and she wanted to cry. She started taking deep breaths, and even counting to ten to herself in an attempt to stay calm.

"I don't think any explanation could help at this point," Hawke continued.

 _ _One… two…__

"but I would like to hear one anyway,"

 _ _Three… four…__

"so that I can feel reasonably sure about trusting your decisions in the future."

 _ _Five, six, oh no…__

Of all the reactions Hawke was expecting, seeing Cat jump up suddenly and run off, was the furthest thought from his mind. He looked up, his eyes wide and his mouth open in shock.

"Maker's breath, Hawke," Anders said quietly, as he sat down. Isabela gave Hawke a glare before setting off after her friend.

"Well done, brother. We all know no one can be as perfect as __Garrett Hawke__ , but now we must add making women cry to your epithet," Carver sneered sarcastically.

 _"_ And what is __that__ supposed to mean?!" Hawke responded, his face no longer the blank slate, but showing the myriad of feelings across his face, from shock to guilt, to embarrassment, and finally defensiveness.

"That's enough," Fenris said, not moving from his perch against the wall of the cave across from Hawke.

"I agree," Anders added, sitting on Hawke's right, looking between Hawke and Carver as he spoke. "We should not be pointing fingers and placing blame here."

Carver sat opposite of Hawke, smirking at him, obviously pleased he had been able to get a shot in at his brother. They all looked up as Isabela and Cat walked back into the camp. Hawke could see no evidence of crying, in fact, Cat looked mad as hell.

"Hawke," Isabela said, as she moved her arm to wrap it around Cat's shoulders. "Kitty made an emotional decision, and obviously feels bad about it enough without you pointing it out." Cat nodded, feeling vindicated.

"And Kitty," Cat's temporary vindication was swept away. "Hawke was worried, in fact ALL of us were worried. It was mostly luck that we found you, and if Anders hadn't come when he did, it would have been hours later by the time we got here. Which means, you might have been gone. That's enough to make anyone upset."

Cat's anger shifted to guilt, yet again. She just assumed they were coming, she hadn't thought about how they would feel. "Since when did you become a diplomat, Issy?" she grumbled, and Isabela let out a laugh.

"I suppose you two just bring it out in me," she replied, giving Cat a squeeze and letting her go. _"_ _ _He really has been worried,"__ she whispered.

Cat looked down at Hawke. He was looking off to a wall, his arms crossed in front of him, the look on his face seeming more unhappy than angry at this point.

"Garrett," Cat said quietly, waiting for him to meet her gaze. "I am sorry. I did what I thought was best, and it turned out completely sideways." She gave a shrug, not willing to go into everything. "Thank you," she added, looking around to the others. "Thank you for coming for me. I was reasonably sure I could get away, but I didn't want to leave Olivia and Feynriel in the hands of the slavers."

"Ah…" Hawke raised his hand and scratched the back of his neck, looking away. "No problem." He ignored the looks the others were throwing his direction, at his sudden change of attitude. "Uh, what is the plan with these two, anyway?"

Cat looked over where the two young mages had both fallen asleep. Smiling, she looked back to Hawke, then over to Anders. "I have a few ideas," she said.

"Should I be worried?" Anders asked with a smirk.

"Maybe," Cat teased.

She then told them of first Feynriel and his desire to go to the Dalish. Hawke and Anders especially agreed with the idea, and Cat was hardly surprised that Fenris and Carver were against it, though they put up little resistance to the idea. Cat got the feeling that they protested just out of principle, instead of actually caring what happened.

Cat then explained about Olivia, how her father was a templar, and her desire to leave the circle, seeing that it was the place she was raised, and had always been taught that her existence was basically a sin.

"She is young to become an apostate," Hawke said, looking over at her sleeping form.

"That's true, however, she is resilient, and learns quickly. I think if she had a place where she could see her powers doing good…"

Everyone was silent, looking at Cat in confusion, though Fenris was giving a Cat a look that asked, __Are you sure about this?__

"Wait… you mean the clinic?" Anders asked in shock. "I hardly have time to look after someone…"

"That's the point!" Cat crowed in triumph, though the others didn't share her enthusiasm. "Look, at first, yes, you'll need to be there a lot, teaching her how to handle the day to day, the more simple healings, and so on. Teaching her how to look out for herself, and about Justice, and whatever. But then, she will be able to take a lot of the duties of the clinic off your plate, Anders."

"Justice and _whatever_?"

"She'll be able to handle the day to day, which will give you more time to spend as you need, whether helping Hawke, or working on your own goals. Or she'll be able to help with healings that take too much out of you. Besides, isn't she an example of exactly what you are trying to accomplish? Getting mages free from the circle?"

"Well… yes, but…"

"But?" Hawke asked, interested in his answer.

"I don't know, I just feel like I should be arguing against this, even if I don't have a good reason why," Anders replied with a smile.

"That's a normal reaction to Cat's plans," Hawke responded with a smirk at Cat.

"Hey! That's rude," Cat pouted. "just wait until the next time one of your plans goes wrong…" she threatened teasingly.

Hawke held his hands up in surrender. "My deepest apologies, my lady," he said in a high, snooty voice, which had Cat giggling.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one would like to sleep in my bed instead of in a cave," Isabela said, bringing everyone back to the present.

"Seconded," Carver added.

Cat gave a huge yawn, her brain finally catching on to her body's weariness. Eyeing the ground of the cave, she gave in. "I agree, though I may complain the whole way home," she said to Isabela.

"You say that like it is something different than every other time," Isabela teased.

"Ouch!" Cat pressed her hand to her heart. "You wound me!"

"Really, you just set yourself up for them," Fenris added, as he went over to wake up the sleeping mages.

* * *

Cat stayed in the middle of the group since both Olivia and Feynriel stuck to her like glue. Everyone was polite, but both young mages were extremely nervous, worried that perhaps the promises that Cat had given them would not be upheld by these others.

Both Anders and Hawke were quick to show small spells, hoping to ease their minds by knowing that there were others mages with them, and while it helped, Cat could still sense their unease. Being out in the open after what happened most likely was the cause.

"You endanger yourself human! Do not say you were un-warned."

The group stopped, looking around for the source of the voice, and Hawke pushed his way to the front of the group. Hawke looked back at Fenris who gestured with his head, and Hawke stepped in that direction to find the source.

Hawke's eyes opened wide as a large Qunari stepped out of a hidden path. "Go no further human. The path ahead is littered with my kind," he said to Hawke.

"What are you trying to pull here?" Hawke demanded.

"I did not like my… role, so I left the Qun. I do not want to murder as my brethren, so I warn their victims. I am currently pulling nothing. You are not helpless, so I will leave."

Cat swallowed her giggle, her exhaustion making everything sound much more funny than it actually was. The Tal-Vashoth was obviously not trying to make a joke. He turned and left them once he said his piece, and Hawke turned back to his group looking confused.

"I know I don't know much about Qunari, but that seemed very strange," he said to Fenris, looking for an explanation.

"When Qunari do not follow the Qun, they are cast out, and known as Tal-Vashoth," Fenris explained, sounding bored. "They are considered soulless, and without purpose they become wild and savage. They are basically criminals to those of the Qun."

Hawke nodded, though it still didn't make much sense to him. At least he now had a name to go with these… other Qunari.

"It seems we have little choice," Hawke stated after some thought. "If we would be attacked anyway, I say we take the fight to them. I would feel better knowing others will not be attacked after us." He glanced around to his companions. "But, only if you feel up to it," he added. He looked at each, and they nodded in turn. He knew they were tired, but a fight they controlled was better than a fight they were thrust into.

He looked over at Cat. "Cat I want you three to wait here,"

"What?" she replied looking disgruntled.

"I need you to protect them, in case any of these Tal-Vashoth get past us," he explained.

"I… I can help Serah," Olivia spoke up. "You saved us, and you are willing to help us further. It is the very least we can do."

Cat looked over and gave her a questioning look, asking "are you sure?" Olivia nodded, and Cat turned to Feynriel, to see him nod as well. She turned back to Hawke. "I'll stay with them, and we'll stay back, but we ARE going with you."

Hawke saw the determination on each of their faces, and gave in. "Very well, just don't do anything reckless. Keep an eye on the perimeter, looking for ambushes or flanking attacks." They nodded back to him, and he turned to his other companions. "This area of the coast has many winding trails and small caves, as well as bush and tree cover. Stay on your guard, and don't get far ahead. Anders and I may need your help."

They nodded again, the four of them staying quiet as they each pulled out their weapons. Cat pulled out her own daggers, glad that her things had been recovered. Well… almost all.

"Kitty?" Isabela asked, causing Cat to turn to her. "You're scowling. Are you not ready for this?"

"Sorry, Issy, I just was thinking that I wasn't able to find my blue dagger. It's my favorite."

"Oh, my apologies," Fenris stated, pulling the blue dyed, leather wrapped, dagger from his belt and handing it to Cat. "We took it from the men who originally took you from Darktown."

Cat beamed at Fenris, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said as she took the dagger back. It was one of precious few mementos from her days with the Wardens, and had become somewhat of a lucky charm. She couldn't even bear to use it, worried that something might happen to it. "Okay, now I am ready!" She said as she sheathed the dagger in its home on her belt.

That earned her smiles all around, though a few were smirks, and the group started off again, ready for an attack.

Cat quietly asked Feynriel and Olivia about their magic as they walked, and directing them on when and how to be most helpful with the spells they knew. They were both very young, and only knew a handful of things- Olivia being still an apprentice, and Feynriel being mostly self-taught. But, they wanted to help, so she would assist them in that. This was a chance to build their confidence.

Very soon, the fight had begun, with both Fenris and Carver charging forward at a group of Tal-Vashoth. Unlike the game mechanics, the shouts brought all the other Tal-Vashoth in the area out to assist, and the mages did all they could to keep the spears and other projectiles from wounding their warriors.

Isabela darted in and out of stealth, focusing on wounding more than killing blows, which not only kept the Tal-Vashoth from fighting, but made each wounded one easier to kill.

Cat now fully understood what Hawke had meant when he stated that he wasn't as proficient with ice spells as Anders. While Hawke's ice spells froze limbs and on occasion almost an entire body, Anders' spells were devastating in comparison, freezing several enemies solid at once, and with much more frequency.

It was a difficult fight, but soon they were making their way into the cave that seemed to be their base. Afterwards, they stopped to rest, and took what valuables and food they could use from the cave, and headed out back towards Kirkwall.

* * *

"So this is where you live?" Olivia asked as she followed Cat and Isabela into their dwelling. Cat thought it not big enough for one person, let alone three, but they would make do for one night. Anders needed time to make Olivia her own space at the clinic.

"We honestly only sleep here," Cat answered. "So it's big enough, and clean enough for that, and we don't have to worry about anyone thinking we have things to steal, seeing as it looks so shabby on the outside."

"I guess that would work," Olivia said, though she didn't believe her own words.

"I'd get used to it," Isabela added, as she sat on her bed to pull off her boots. "Anders' clinic is in the Undercity, which is a giant step down from Lowtown."

Olivia looked dismayed as she thought on that, but eventually she steeled herself. "You said I would have my own room?" she asked Cat.

"Yes, and Anders will never violate your privacy. It's a big thing for him, since he came from the circle too."

Olivia nodded. "Then it may not be ideal at first, but it will still be better than there. A gilded cage is still a cage, after all."

"Smart, kid." Isabela said, before she rolled over turning her back to the other two and pulling her pillow over her head.

"Guess she's tired," Cat said with a yawn. "I think I need a nap too," she looked at Olivia. "What do you want to do? I wouldn't recommend going out, but it's your decision."

"Um… if I write a letter to my father, could you deliver it to him at the gallows?" she asked hesitantly.

"Sure, if you don't have a deadline. I'm not certain when I'll be going to the gallows, but I can definitely make that happen."

"Sorry to be so needy, but do you have letter writing supplies?" she asked with embarrassment.

"Not a problem," Cat answered, digging through a crate to find the supplies she would need. "If you feel like sleeping, feel free to share my bed or there are books here in this crate if you'd rather read. Sorry there aren't more options," she handed the items to Olivia, and headed over to her bed. "I've got to work later tonight, so feel free to use my bed." Then, pulling off her own boots, she laid down, and pulled the blanket over herself.

"Thank you, Cat. For everything," Olivia said quietly, but Cat didn't reply. She turned, and smiled as she could see Cat was already fast asleep.

* * *

 _"_ _ _CAT!"__

Cat turned toward the voice that hissed her name, seeing Idunna motioning her forward.

"What is it?" she asked. "I'm working."

 _"_ _ _Shhh! Just come on!"__

Cat shrugged and followed after her, back towards her room. After she had gotten inside

and Idunna closed the door, she spoke again. "You know, I was almost to your room anyway."

"Yes, but I couldn't wait any longer!" Idunna said with wide eyes, and Cat wondered what had gotten into her.

"Okay… I'm here. What is it?"

"Is it true that Madam Lusine has been having Arina and Burne learning how to do your job?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. I told her that I couldn't be here every night any more. With the expedition that I'm investing in, and helping Isabela's friend Hawke with odd jobs, it's hard to tell when I need the night free."

"Ugh, that is so like you!"

"Huh?"

"You, and your noble honesty. You realize that once you teach them, she's just going to let you go completely?"

"But- she said she wouldn't…"

"Cat. You are so naive."

Cat frowned at her friend. Sure, she tried to see the good in everyone, but she hated when others called her naive. She sighed heavily. "It isn't a big deal Idunna. If she does, then she does, and I'll find something else."

"No, there's no need for that," she said, and handed Cat a paper. Cat's eyebrow winged up in question as she took the paper and began reading it.

It was a list of sorts, names on the left side of people that worked at the Rose, she realized as she read down the list. To the side of each name, there were tonics and potions noted, and to the right of that column, was another noting quantities.

"What am I looking at Idunna?" Cat asked, perplexed.

"I thought it was pretty straightforward," she answered with a smirk. "These are your weekly orders for tonics."

"I don't get it, you want me to deliver tonics?"

"Cat, why do I have to spell this out?" Idunna huffed. "Even if we can't have you cleaning for us anymore, we don't want to go back to the old tonics. We convinced Madam to give us the money she bought the tonics with, and we take care of it ourselves now. This list are the people who want to get their tonics from you. Or I should say __our__ tonics, because I want mine from you too.

"Isabela told me that you had your friend make them, and paid him for that to help with his clinic. So this is a win-win situation. He makes the tonics, you deliver them, we pay for the service, and get better quality goods. Everyone wins, and you have a new way to make money. Plus we still get to see you."

Cat stood there, gobsmacked as the realization hit her. These amazing people had figured out a way for her to still make a living, with a job that was much more flexible. Cat gave Idunna a quick hug. "I have to get back to work, but this isn't over. Thank you so much!"

Once her work was done, Cat made sure to visit every single person on the list, not only to go over the quantities, ensuring that they were correct, but also to give hugs and thanks to each and every one of them before she left.

Cat wasn't really surprised that someone was waiting to walk her home, though she was surprised it was Fenris, instead of Isabela. She walked up to where he was leaning against the wall, and asked, "what happened?"

"She was having a good time, and did not want to leave. I told her I would take her place," he said.

"Drinking at the Hanged Man?" Cat asked.

"Indeed."

"They aren't all getting drunk are they? We do have to take Feynriel to the dalish tomorrow."

Fenris simply grunted.

"I guess that's a no," Cat teased, as he pushed himself upright and they started walking through Hightown.

"You know walking home from Hightown isn't the same as walking through Darktown."

"Obviously," he replied without looking at her.

"So, why do I need an escort?" she asked.

"Perhaps I needed the escort," he said, teasing her back.

"Oh, well in that case, we are going the wrong way! Aren't you staying in an abandoned mansion here in Hightown?"

Fenris turned his head slightly and smirked at her. "You are, as always, well informed."

"True."

They walked on in silence, and while Fenris was naturally not much of a chatter, Cat could tell he had something on his mind, so she stayed quiet.

"Cat," he began. "Did you know that necromancer was there?"

Cat turned to glance at him as well, then nodded. "Yes."

"I see. And the trapdoor leading to his lair?"

"Yes."

"You told Isabela about it?"

"Sort of."

He stopped, and put his hand on her arm to stop her as well. She realized this was going to be a longer conversation than she had thought. She hooked her arm in his and turned towards the main housing side of Hightown.

"Let's go to your place and talk. I don't trust the eyes and ears around here."

"Very well."

After arriving at the mansion, Cat smiled at Fenris' "re-decorating". The mansion as a whole was overall ignored, most rooms collecting dust, though there were a few rooms that looked as if a tornado had gone through them, by the broken furniture piled inside. She followed him upstairs, and he pulled a chair closer to the fire for her.

"Thank you," she said, sitting down and letting out a small sigh. Fenris busied himself with stoking the fire, adding on more wood, before sitting on a bench on the other side of the fireplace, waiting for her to speak.

"Now I feel like perhaps you convinced Isabela to stay drinking so you could come and speak with me alone," Cat said, and Fenris smirked. "Yes, I did give Isabela some information, though when I tried to explain how I knew, she didn't want to hear it. She was content to just believe me, and said that if I wanted her to know I could explain. Knowing that she didn't want the explanation however, kept me from saying more."

"And if she did want an explanation?"

Cat hesitated. True, she had already said as much out loud to Fenris, but her talk with Anders had her wondering just how much to share. Though Zevran believed her, and Duran and his group did as well, to a lesser extent, there had still always been small issues. Questions of what she knew, why she hadn't shared, as well as the issue of trust. It was difficult to trust someone that was keeping secrets, and they ALL knew she was keeping secrets. No matter how close they had become, that had continued to be a wedge between them.

Now, here was a new group of people that she was becoming close to, and she worried about repeating the past. She didn't like the looks, and the mistrust in her decisions, and was thinking that perhaps it was better NOT to share. After all, she had been spoiled with Zevran, and couldn't expect anyone else to be as trusting and accepting as he was.

Being with Isabela's crew didn't have the problem of trust, but she wasn't able to fully integrate with the sailors either, she always kept her distance.

"To be honest? Based on past experiences, I wonder if it is wise to share an explanation at all," she answered, looking into the fire to avoid his gaze.

"Why?"

Cat glanced over, and seeing he was not pushing, but truly curious to know, she tried to put her feelings into words.

"That necromancer… he killed many women, yes?" she asked him, and he nodded in reply. "It seems a small thing in the big picture, but if left alone, eventually… Hawke's mother would have been one of his victims."

Fenris' eyes widened slightly as he took in this information, but he remained silent.

"Now imagine, if you are Hawke, and you know about me, and I hadn't stopped the necromancer."

"Ah," Fenris murmured with a nod. "I could easily blame you," he said quietly.

"Yes, but I am not all knowing, nor all seeing. And those that did not fully understand made life difficult, even knowing that they cared about me, there was always a slight distrust."

They sat quietly for some time, Fenris contemplating what he had been told, and Cat giving the time and space to do so. It was a comfortable silence, and Cat smiled to herself as she realized this was far from what she would have pictured, having told Fenris of all people about herself.

Fenris cleared his throat, and Cat turned to him. "It is your decision, but know that I would like to understand. I may not be the wisest, or the kindest, but I am loyal to my friends. I swear that I would never share anything you share with me with another soul."

Cat smiled wider, "Does that mean… we're friends?"

He gave her a look. "Is that not what I just finished saying?"

Cat looked down at her hands. Sometimes, she knew she needed to be logical, but…

"So where I am from there was a story. An epic story that spanned many years. In was so intricate, that you not only read the story, you participated in it, making decisions as if you were the main character."

"How would that even work?" he asked, confused.

"Hmm… say, I am telling you a tale, where the hero is at the cave of the dragon, and I give you the choice. You are the hero… do you go into the dragon cave, or do you try to lure the dragon out? The story then would change based on your decision, would it not?"

"Yes, I see," he replied, with a nod.

"In the beginning of this story, it was about a young recruit that joined the Grey Wardens. Tragedy struck this recruit, and during a blight, in a fight with the darkspawn, all but one of his companions were killed, along with the king, and half of the nation's army.

"This recruit didn't know why at the time, but was told that only a Grey Warden could stop the blight, so he and his companion travelled around the country, gaining allies and raising an army to fight this terrible foe."

"Are you telling-"

"Just wait," Cat interrupted his question. "Save all questions for the end," she added.

"Very well…"

"During this time, a young mage was living with his mother, brother, and sister in a small town. After this fight with the darkspawn was lost, the darkspawn started across the countryside, killing everything in their path. This mage had very little notice, just his brother, who escaped from death in the battle, coming right before the horde of darkspawn to warn them. They took off immediately, trying to escape from the horde, finding a warrior and templar along the way.

"Through the help of another, they were able to get on a ship, and travel away from the blighted land to the free marches, ending in Kirkwall. They had to scrape and serve to survive, but finally they carved a place for themselves in the city. Soon this mage met others that he helped, and were willing to travel with him. A dwarf, an apostate, a pirate, a former slave, a dalish elf, and a prince… along with one of his siblings, and his warrior friend- this mage had triumphs and tragedies, becoming a champion to the people, and leader to this varied group."

There was silence, as Cat finished, and Fenris waited to see if she was really done. Finally he commented, "I see you make no mention of yourself."

Cat smiled sadly then. "I was not a part of this story, when I heard it, though I often wished I was." She laughed without any humor at the irony. "I read this story again and again, making different decisions each time, enjoying the camaraderie of these amazing people, feeling joy in their triumphs, and sorrow in their tragedies. I felt as if I knew them as well as any of my actual friends."

"Tragedy stuck my life as well, and I found myself in a dark place. I stayed there, though friends and family all tried to help me, I refused to move on and up out of the dark. Then one day, I woke up, and found that I wasn't in my bed… I was on a street. Many things happened, but I later found out, that I was in… Thedas. This place that I had heard and read about. Not only that, I met people… from the story. People that I knew- well, somewhat."

"You… you found yourself IN the story you knew so well?"

"Yes," Cat said, relived and yet scared that she had laid it all out. __There was no going back now.__ "That is why I'm not some Oracle, I don't really know the future. I just know the story."

"So if I were to ask you things?"

"I may or may not tell you. I may or may not even know the answer. But I worry. Knowledge changes things, how people act, choices they make. Who knows what will change because the necromancer is dead before he should have been?"

"I see. I do not envy you."

Now Cat did smile. "Thank you very much," she said sardonically. "However, I cannot simply let horrible things occur. I worry more for what I may __do__ to Thedas. Just being here has brought changes I can't being to fathom, but I don't know that I can just sit idly by and watch horrible things happen when I could stop them."

"What was it you said before? Great power also brings great responsibility?"

"Wait, you were listening to that?"

"Of course. I believe that is what has caught my curiosity about you the most. Your ideas are so different than any other I have come across, though now it is apparent as to the reason for that."

"That is true, but it is also from what I have seen. I have friends both who are mages, and those who's lives have been torn apart by magic. I truly believe there is no easy solution."

"Hmm." Fenris stood, going to look out the window. "There are still a few hours until sunrise. I should get you home, so we can both get our rest. I feel that tomorrow will be long."

"All right," Cat said, as she stood and stretched.

"Though I do have one final question for today," he added and she looked over to him in question. "Though you work at the Rose, you are not a whore, correct?"

Cat grinned. "I knew I liked you Fenris."


	34. Chapter 34- A New Job, A New Beginning

Cat looked up at the rising sun as she and Fenris left the run down mansion, and headed to the center of Hightown. She had gotten very little sleep once she had convinced Fenris to wait until morning. He had given her his bed, insisting on sleeping in the huge armchair he had.

"Are you sure you're not stiff anywhere?"

Fenris smirked and nodded. "I am used to sleeping in worse accommodations than a large cushioned chair, worry not."

"I guess…" Cat trailed off. "But just because it's not the worst, does not automatically make it wonderful."

"But wonderful in comparison," Fenris added as they reached a flight of stairs. "I wanted to ask you, if it would be all right if I asked questions when I have them."

Cat glanced at him with a smile, before turning back to watch her footing. "That's fine, although…"

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Fenris pulled her aside, and waited. His right eyebrow was raised in question.

"I know I mentioned that I had a similar talk with Issy, though not in such detail, and… somewhat with Anders as well." She didn't miss the roll of his eyes or the scoff at the mention of her mage friend. "I don't know when, or if, I will tell anyone else." Cat looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting around each other in a sign of nerves.

As his larger hand covered hers, Cat looked up. Fenris was looking at her softly, but seriously, obviously trying to be gentle, yet still intimidating to those who didn't know him. "Every person has regrets," Cat looked puzzled, unsure of where this was going. "I betrayed friendship once, and it will haunt me until the day I die. I swear to you, I will not betray your friendship, nor the trust you have placed in me, even if I must give my life."

Cat's eyes widened. "Thank you."

Then she smiled.

"Questions are fine, I'll trust your discretion in front of the others."

They both turned as they heard two people arguing, seeing an armored man striding towards the chantry board. The older woman dressed in chantry garb was practically running to keep up with him, sounding like she was scolding him.

They watched as the man placed a notice on the chantry board, and walked away. The woman went to take it down, and the man spun around burying an arrow into the parchment so that it stayed where it was, giving a parting word and striding away.

The chantry woman sighed deeply, looking sorrowful as she glanced up at the notice, then turned around and walked back up the stairs to the chantry, leaving the notice where it was.

Cat turned to Fenris, asking "should we see what is causing all the fuss?"

Fenris didn't speak, simply holding his arm out in a gesture of, "after you," and Cat started forward towards the board.

They stood glancing at the board for several minutes, Cat's knowledge of the common tongue in written form she often compared to a child learning to read for the first time. She knew the runes, having been taught by several sailors on the Siren's Call. However there wasn't much opportunity to practice, and she was somewhat rusty.

"I'm sorry it's taking so long," she said. "Is there anyway we can just take it with us?"

Fenris reached up and pulled the arrow out of the board, handing the parchment to Cat and on to the arrow. They started walking again towards Lowtown, Fenris guiding Cat by holding onto her elbow. "What does it say?" he finally asked.

"I'm not the best reader, but I think I got the gist of it."

"Why is that?"

"Huh?" Cat asked, thrown off track. "Why is what?"

"Why are you not a reader? You seem highly educated."

"Oh!" Cat realized what he was asking, "I am, educated I mean. But while common sounds like the language of home, the written form is not the same. We didn't use runes, so I've had to learn how to read all over again."

"Truly?"

"Yes, and while Issy and the sailors I travelled with were very helpful and quite insisting that I learn, there hasn't been a lot of opportunities since to practice. I feel like I've lost some of what I learned.

"What about you?" she asked.

Fenris looked startled, but the look was so quickly gone from his face, she could almost think she imagined it. "Should you not know the answer?." he asked, though teasingly.

"I do, though I ask for two reasons. One, there have been some things that are different, so it isn't wise to assume that I know. And two, I'd rather get to know you from you, not from a story."

He gave her a rare chuckle, though it was short. "Very well. My former master determined that reading was a skill not needed in his slaves. He preferred to keep us dependent on him."

"Bastard."

"Agreed."

"Well, I think others are better qualified, but I can share what I was taught at least. Maybe learning together will make it easier."

Fenris stopped, and since his hand was still loosely holding her elbow, she stopped as well when she felt the pull. She had never seen Fenris shocked before, and would have giggled if she wasn't worried that he would think she was joking with him.

"Really? Why?"

"Why not? Friends help each other. You can spar with me, and help me with my combat in exchange." With that settled, she started off again, knowing he would catch up easily with his longer strides.

She didn't want to dwell on it, so she focused back on the parchment in her hands. "It says something about the man's family being killed… and he traced the crime to a mercenary company, called the Flint Company."

Fenris grunted as he took hold of her elbow again, changing her course so she didn't walk into a wall.

"He also gives a few leads to help find them, though he is uncertain of their exact location." Cat rolled up the parchment, holding it down by her side. "That's terrible, to find out after the fact that your entire family was murdered. No wonder he was asking for help."

"And you are going to ask Hawke," Fenris commented, letting go of her as she now could focus on where she was walking.

"Well, no." she replied. "But I will give him this," she help up the notice. "and he can decide what to do with it. Though I will say he will probably help."

"Oh? You seem pretty confident about that."

"Well, he's a nice guy. He seems like the type that helps others. I mean, just look at all of us. He's pretty much helped each of us, right? If that's not enough, the reward the guy is offering will probably convince him."

Fenris grunted again, and Cat felt somewhat pleased that she was beginning to understand what he was saying, even though it was just a noise. It wasn't unlike her and Issy's silent language of gestures and looks.

* * *

Cat walked into the hovel as quietly as she could, but realized she needn't have bothered when she looked up to find both Isabela and Olivia looking at her, smirking.

"And where have you been, Kitty?" Isabela asked with a smug grin, which had Olivia giggling into her hand, trying to smother the sound.

"As if you didn't know," Cat replied. "deciding drinking was more important," Cat held her hand to her chest in mock hurt, "than me!" She put her hand over her eyes and pretended to sob.

"Okay, cut the dramatics," Isabela replied with a shake of her head. Cat smiled as she dropped her hand, and Olivia giggled again.

"You two ready to go?" Cat asked, as she went to collect her crossbow and quiver as well as her pack, and began putting them on.

"Yes, though I am still nervous," Olivia said. Cat looked over at Isabela in question, and received a nod.

"Olivia, I know it goes against what you've been taught, but I promise, it isn't the same. Anders will not harm you."

"I know, it's just so difficult..."

Cat walked forward placing a hand on her shoulder, causing Olivia to look up at her. "Have you ever heard of spirit healers?" Cat asked.

"Yes, though I do not know everything about them."

"What do you know?"

"They are somehow able to call on spirits in the fade to aid in their healing ability? To greater effect? Is that right?"

Cat smiled. "I can't claim to know everything either, but I will tell you that Anders' situation is unique. With spirit healers, the spirits in the fade that embody good, like compassion, or virtue, or loyalty seek out those characteristics and assist those that have them. In Anders' case, a spirit of Justice was taken out of the fade. It couldn't survive without a host, and Anders did not want to see it destroyed or corrupted."

"Wait, so he __agreed to it?!"__ Olivia gasped.

"Um, yes?" Cat replied, glancing over at Isabela and receiving a shrug in return. __Good thing she was going over this with Olivia again.__ "Being a human with emotions and a limited perspective can be hard for this new sense of Justice that is part of him now. So, as his friends, sometimes we must help keep him from seeking vengeance for things that are unfair." Cat ran a hand through her hair, deciding to redo her braid in order to keep her hands busy.

"I see, that must be so hard for him!"

Cat smiled, "Yes it can be, especially because he is sometimes warring with himself over these emotions. He will help you in starting your new life, but in many ways, you will probably help him more. He is trying to do too much, stretching himself thin."

Olivia looked determined now, as she slapped her fist into her other hand. "I will help any way I can! Because he is helping me, but also for you and your friends. For saving me."

"Consider that debt repaid," Cat replied, finishing her braid, and tossing it over her shoulder. "Your life is yours, and only you decide what to do with it. If the clinic doesn't make you happy, then find what does, okay?"

Olivia's lip quivered, and Cat was quick to usher her out the door, as she didn't want to get emotional. Cat looked back to Isabela, concerned that she hadn't moved.

"Kitty, I'm going to stay behind today. I've got some business to handle."

"Oh, okay. I'll go let Hawke know we won't be going," Cat replied, starting to shed her pack.

"No, you go ahead. I'm mostly going to meet with contacts, and they don't like new faces. You should go with Hawke."

Cat was concerned, though she could guess as to what was going on. But Issy had yet to look at her, which was a huge tell that she was feeling guilty.

"All right." Cat finally conceded. "You'll be safe?" she asked.

Isabela looked up with a smirk. "Isn't that my line?" she asked as she stood up. She was startled when Cat stepped forward to give her a hug. "Kitty?" she asked, worried.

"Just in case," Cat replied. "You never know what will happen after all."

Isabela relaxed and gave Cat a squeeze before backing up a step. "Go you ninny, I'll see you tonight."

Cat nodded, looking as emotional as Olivia had just moments ago, and she abruptly turned and headed out the door. Isabela dropped back down in her chair, telling herself that it was for the best. __I need to find that tome, and it needs to be soon. Kitty would be fine with Hawke, he'd look after her. Not to mention Fenris and Carver. Yes, she'd be all right.__

* * *

Cat and Olivia entered the Hanged Man, seeing that they were the last ones to arrive, though the others were hardly ready to leave. Varric, it seemed, was in the middle of breakfast, while he held an animated conversation with Hawke, who seemed to only be paying half attention at best.

The others were quiet, though Aveline and Carver were pointedly ignoring each other, as were Fenris and Anders, and Hafter looked asleep at Hawke's feet. The two ladies strode forward to the table, one more confident than the other.

"Good morning everyone," Cat said cheerfully, getting a chorus of replies. "You all remember Olivia? Olivia, I think you met all the guys, though that's Varric down at the end by Hawke." Varric smiled and gave a nod in greeting, and Olivia gave a small wave.

Cat gestured over to Aveline. "and this is Aveline. She's a guard, __not a templar__ " Cat added quietly. "She's a great friend to have, though if you cause trouble, you'll wish you didn't meet her," Cat added with a smirk, and Aveline merely nodded along.

"Nice to meet you Olivia. Follow Anders' instructions and you should be fine," Aveline said with a smile.

"Oh, uh, right." Olivia replied, uncertainly. She watched as Cat climbed down on the floor to speak to and pet the giant dog at Hawke's feet.

Anders stood then, coming around to face Olivia. "I thought we'd keep it simple today, and let you get used to everything. Have you been to Lowtown before?" he asked.

"This is my first time out of… you know."

"Well then, we'll give you a tour, so you can get to know your new home, and the routine of the clinic." Anders kept a few steps distance, and a smile on his face, and Cat was glad he was so aware of Olivia's fears.

"And I'll come check on you later today," Cat added, standing and giving Olivia's arm a squeeze. "I know new things can be scary, but you can do this."

Olivia's determination came back on her face, and she smiled at Cat. "Anything is better than before," she said with a small smile. She pulled out a letter, and handed it to Cat. "Whenever you can deliver this, I would appreciate it."

"You didn't give any details did you?" Cat asked.

"No, but you can read it to make sure," she replied.

Cat took the letter, and then pulled a note from her own pocket, handing it to Anders. "This is a new order for the Rose," she said in explanation. "I'd like to have it ready next week." Cat went to her coin purse, pulling out a handful of silvers and handing them to Anders. "I think that should cover the charge, but let me know if I didn't give you enough."

Anders was wide eyed, taking in the list, as well as the payment. "This is too much."

Cat gave him a raspberry. "Nonsense. That's the cost of supplies, plus your payment."

"Cat, I can't take this-"

"Anders." Cat interrupted him smoothly, holding up a hand. "I was presented with a business opportunity, and I'm sharing that with you. Do you or do you not know how to make these?" she asked indicating the list.

"Well, yes. But-"

"And do you, or do you not," Cat continued without letting him get a word in, "charge for said tonics?"

"Of course, but-"

"And won't your clinic be better off having this extra source of coin?"

Anders was smiling now, realizing what was happening. "Thank you, Cat."

Cat waved away his gratitude. "I'm being paid for delivering it, and honestly, they decided the charge, and it's still less than what they used to pay, __and__ they say your tonics are much better quality, so everyone wins. If you want to have Olivia help to earn her own money, that's up to you."

"I'm sure we can handle this, it's not too much," he replied, looking at the list again.

"This is a weekly order, Anders."

His mouth dropped as he looked at her in disbelief. "Weekly?" he croaked.

Cat nodded. "Can you handle it?" she asked.

"We'll earn this much silver every week?" he asked, gobsmacked, and Cat grinned.

"Yep. If you can handle it. I know I'd feel better knowing you two will have money to buy food, and supplies for the clinic."

"We can handle it!" Olivia jumped in, looking at the silver in Anders' hand. __She was no doubt thinking of buying new clothes,__ Cat thought _ _, since Issy and I had insisted she got rid of her circle robes. She was currently wearing some of my clothes, which didn't quite fit. Olivia was tall and slim, where I'm shorter and curvy, though not so much as Issy.__

"It's settled then," Cat said, patting Anders' arm. "Just let me know when it's ready. We'll try to deliver the same day each week, but we have some flexibility."

"All… all right. Cat… I…" Anders looked somewhat lost, then threw his arms around her. "Thank you so much."

"No problem," she said, then whispered, " _ _someone told me to find a new job, anyway."__

Anders chuckled, and Cat joined in. He let go of her, and giving farewells, escorted Olivia out of the tavern.

"Nice one, Angel." Cat gave Varric a smile, while also giving him a thumbs down. "Yeah, no good, I know. Don't worry, I'll find it."

"He's right though," Hawke commented. "This will help Anders financially, but also to stay busy, and out of trouble."

"Thank the Maker," Aveline added.

"Who cares," Carver muttered, then raising his voice, asked "so are we going, or what?"

"We're going all right," Hawke replied. "Let's head out."

* * *

It didn't take long to get to the Alienage, and Feynriel was waiting outside his home. Once he spotted them, he ran inside with a whoop, and practically pulled his mother along to join him in greeting Hawke's group.

"Cat, everyone, this is my mother, Arianni. Mother, these are the people I told you about."

Arianni walked straight to Cat, and grabbed her hands, bowing over them. "Thank you, for saving my son."

Cat looked around, unsure of how to act, but getting no help, she pulled a hand free, and brought it to the woman's arm, helping her to stand upright. "I am happy to help, I would leave no one at the mercy of slavers."

Arianni looked around as well, "Thank you all, I wish I had a way to repay you for your kindness."

"Payment is uneccessary, madam." Hawke interjected, full of charm. "Our friend was also captured by the slavers, and we are heading to the Dalish for another matter."

"Giving Feynriel a choice, and allowing us to accompany you, shows how different you are, yet you see it as nothing," Arianni stated in awe. "At the least, I can make introductions to the Dalish for you."

"That would be much appreciated," Hawke replied with a smile. "Then you are coming with us as well?"

"Yes, I wish to stay with my son, though I worry that the clan will not accept him as you think."

"We will do what we can to help convince them," Hawke replied. "Are you both ready to leave?"

Feynriel grabbed two packs, handing one to Arianni and they both shouldered them. "We are," he answered for them both.

"Then let's go."

* * *

During the walk outside the city, Cat noted that Hawke and Varric were talking as they walked ahead, Carver plodded along on his own, Aveline and Hafter stuck near each other, with Aveline giving Hafter a scratch behind the ears every now and then, and Arianni and Feynriel walked together. Cat and Fenris brought up the rear, and they didn't speak much either, though it was a comfortable silence.

Cat marveled at the scenery around her as they walked. It was strange that in just a couple of hours time, they were in the middle of the mountains, or mountain rather. There was just the one large peak, surrounded by smaller hills. The path they were on was basically a serpentine path cut through the hills, and she could barely tell that they were on an incline.

"How much further, do you think?" Cat asked Fenris, but her voice carried throughout the group.

"Not much," Arianni answered with a smile. "Just around a few more bends there," she pointed ahead of them.

"Oh, great!" Cat answered, readjusting her pack. "I'm looking forward to lunch!"

"We just had breakfast," Aveline spoke up, and Cat rolled her eyes.

"Aveline, that was __hours ago__."

"Oh, right." Aveline looked up to the sky, noting the position of the sun. "I suppose I didn't notice how long we've been walking."

Cat glanced over to Fenris, who was looking left and right, on alert. "What is it?" she asked quietly.

"I am not certain, but I feel as if we have forgotten something, and it is putting me on edge."

Cat grabbed her throwing knives, searching around as they walked, Fenris' mood affecting her immediately. She listened intently, as their group fell silent once again, Fenris falling behind slightly as he slowed his steps, and Cat stepped closer to Feynriel and Arianni, just in case.

As she looked around, she thought back to the game. __Going to Sundermount, was there something on the road? An ambush? Not that I can remember.__ She turned to her right, and felt her arm brush something. Looking down, she noted the rolled up parchment that they had taken from the Chantry board. __Oh! The Flint Company!__

Cat rushed forward, as Varric and Hawke were turning the corner around the last bend, and she could hear Fenris following behind her. They pushed ahead of Hawke and Varric, hearing them squawk "Hey!" as they passed.

Fenris stopped momentarily in front of Cat, his great sword in his hands, as he took the measure of the group of men before him. With a feral grin, he rushed forward in a scythe, holding his sword as a reaper as he surged forward.

"Get them!" one of the mercs shouted.

Cat could hear the rest of her group behind her pulling out their weapons, as Hafter raced past her with a snarl.

"Cat, stay back. We'll handle this," Carver called.

"Not likely," Cat replied with a frown. She moved to her right, pulling out her crossbow, and picking off several men on the outskirts of the group. The fight was over quickly, and Cat helped to loot the bodies.

"I wonder what these mercs were doing here?" Varric asked as he eyed the bodies around him.

"This may give you some answers," Cat replied, handing the parchment from the Chantry board to him. "Fenris and I saw a well armored man post this on the Chantry board, even though the revered mother was against it."

Varric took the notice, scanning the words, while Hawke looked at him expectantly. "Seems this merc band is called the Flint Company. They were responsible for the death of all but one of the royal family of Starkhaven. The remaining royal, is asking for help in taking this merc band down, and is offering a decent sized reward too."

Hawke looked back, contemplating. "Does it give any other information?"

"Yeah, some locations where he tracked the mercs." Varric answered. "At the docks, and…" Varric glanced up at Cat. "by Sundermount."

"Right," Cat said, "I knew I forgot something."

Fenris walked up, sheathing his sword. "WE forgot. We saw the notice earlier, but forgot about it until now."

"We could probably take out the others at the docks on the way back," Varric suggested. "It won't take long, and we have the numbers. It would make sense to get the reward since we've already done half the work."

"I suppose you're right," Hawke answered. "Though next time, I'd prefer the information __before__ the surprise." He smirked, and Cat decided he wasn't angry about it.

"I'll try to remember that," Cat replied with a smirk. She turned to Arianni, and smiled. "Ready to go home?" she asked.

Arianni took a deep breath, and steeled herself before nodding. "Ready," she answered.


	35. Chapter 35- Hello my name is Merrill!

Cat just looked around, enjoying the scenery. Obviously, a video game could hardly compete with reality, but it still surprised her and probably would continue to do so. Everything looked vaguely familiar, just enhanced, and Cat wondered where the Dalish hunters that were guarding the entrance to the camp were.

The group walked on, Arianni walking beside Hawke, with Cat and Feynriel behind them, Varric having dropped back to walk with Aveline, then Carver, and Hafter stayed in the back with Fenris. There were no pats or scratches for Hafter with Fenris, but the mutual respect for the other as a warrior was enough for both.

After another few minutes, Arianni came to a stop, holding out her arm to stop Hawke. The others came to a stop as well, gathering closer to find out the issue.

"We wait to be addressed," Arianni explained, as two elves in armor seemed to come out of nowhere to stand in front of the group.

"Be gone Shemlen," the male stated with a hard look.

"Arianni? Why have you come?" the female asked, curiously.

"I am here to see the keeper, about my son's magic," she replied. "The humans have been sent to the keeper by another."

"Impossible," the male replied sternly. "You have declined your place among the people, and the half-blood is not one of us."

"What could a Shem want with the keeper?" the female asked, though warily.

Hawke looked at Arianni, and whispered, _"_ _ _Oh, I'm the Shem?"__ At her nod, he added, _"_ _ _What__ is __a shem?"__ Cat held her chuckle in, Hawke's whisper being loud enough for all to hear.

"It is an elven slur for human," Aveline answered, without trying to whisper.

"It __means,"__ the male elf corrected, "that you are not one of the people, so you should be on your way."

"Yes Hawke," Fenris interjected. "all the other elves you see are figments of your imagination."

Cat put her hand over her mouth, unwilling to let a laugh escape and offend the Dalish. However, between Fenris' sarcasm, the look of hero worship on Feynriel's face, and the horror on Arianni's, it was terribly difficult.

Hawke kept his calm, looking nonplussed. He held out an amulet for the elves to see and said, "I was sent here, to see Marethari. Please tell her I have come."

The male elf puffed up, as if to say something angrily, but the female stopped him. "Wait," she said, putting her hand on his arm. "This is the one the keeper told us of."

"Are you sure?" he asked skeptically. "I thought he'd be an elf."

"Enter the camp,"the female said, turning to the group. "You will find the keeper there, by the fire."

"Don't cause any trouble Shem. You or the Half-blood." The male said, as he walked back to his post, blending in with the surrounding greenery and practically disappearing before their eyes.

"Neat trick," Cat commented. She looked at Feynriel, and asked. "You okay?"

He was stoic, and tense, but he nodded. "I came to get help controlling my magic, and so that I can stay out of the circle. I don't care what they call me."

"Good lad," Hawke said, as he led the way to the keeper.

Cat instantly liked Keeper Marethari. She reminded Cat of a grandmother, though not her own, but one from a story perhaps. She was elegant, but approachable, regal- yet kind. She spoke first with Arianni, greeting her as a child that had been away too long. She greeted Feynriel with kindness, and after hearing why they were there, agreed to help Feynriel with his magic.

Several of the elven women were waiting nearby to greet and welcome Arianni back, and while they were not hostile to Feynriel, they weren't welcoming either. Cat worried that it would be tough for him, but seeing that his mother was here with him, perhaps he could handle it.

Cat waited with the others behind Hawke, as he and Carver told the story of meeting Flemeth as they tried to escape the darkspawn, with Aveline interjecting once to stop them from arguing a point. Marethari simply smiled, listening intently as the story unfolded. Similarly, Cat could see Varric's attention was focused, and every so often his hand would twitch, as if he were taking notes.

Marethari tilted to the side, looking at those behind Hawke. "And you?" she asked them.

"These are my companions," Hawke answered. "They are traveling with me, as we did not know what we would face."

Cat said nothing, not wanting to nod and agree, since she had her own reasons for coming. She glanced up at the mount in front of them, feeling nervous as she thought of the many ways this meeting could go.

She tuned back in, and jumped slightly, seeing Marethari standing in front of her.

"And you, child?" Marethari asked Cat, her eyes holding Cat's, and she felt she could not evade.

"I am… a long way from home," Cat answered, choosing her words carefully. "I'm looking for help to find it again."

Marethari held her gaze another moment, before nodding and turning back to Hawke. "We know as you do, Asha'bellanar does not do favors without a price, but perhaps she may help you in this. Now, for the last part, you must take the amulet up the mountain to the altar. There, you will preform a rite for the departed, and then… your debt will be payed in full. As will ours."

"I was not taught a rite, are you going to teach it to me?" Hawke asked, annoyed, and yet resigned to doing more to pay back his debt.

"I will send my first with you," she replied. "You would call her my apprentice. She waits for you on the path to the mountain," she said, gesturing with her hand to the well worn path ahead of them. "If I can ask…" she began, and Hawke nodded. "She wishes to leave the clan and go to Kirkwall. Can you take her with you on your way back? Guide her to the city?"

"Why does she want to leave?" Hawke asked.

"That is not my place," Marethari stated. "But it is her wish, and I must abide by it."

"Strange," Hawke murmured. "If that's what you want, she can accompany us back."

"Thank you," Marethari replied, bowing her head to Hawke, and stepping away from us, walking back among her clan.

"Anyone else thinking this is weird?" Varric asked.

"Seems normal for us," Carver replied.

"Let's get this over with," Hawke said, starting up the path, and the others followed him.

* * *

 _ _What was Hawke so broody about?__ Cat wondered. __It's like he's channeling Fenris or even Carver!__

Cat glanced over at their newest member of the Hawke troupe, to see Merrill looking at the ground as they climbed the path, her face glum. __She had definitely been nervous meeting all of us, and Hawke's short, clipped responses hadn't helped to put her at ease.__

Varric jumped in, and doled out his usual charm, even pardoning Hawke's unusually silent behavior, before introducing the rest of them. "Sorry we didn't get properly introduced. I'm Varric, and you've met Hawke. The grumpy younger version is Carver, the grumpy elf is Fenris, the scary woman is Aveline, and the normal looking one is Catarina."

"Whatever Varric," Cat grumbled, as Hafter gave Varric a few barks.

"My apologies!" Varric stated, with a small bow. "And the mabari is Hafter, though we're not sure if he belongs to Hawke, or Hawke belongs to him," Varric added teasingly.

Everyone glanced at Hawke, but he showed no signs of even hearing the joke. With a sigh, Varric started asking Merrill questions about the rite they were going to preform, and she answered in a way that reminded Cat of the keeper.

Cat was about to comment on Merrill's ability to make things easy to understand when she tripped, and landed face first in the dirt.

"Cat?" Aveline asked, but before she could respond, she heard the others' comments.

"Whoa."

"Is that a skeleton?"

"There's a bunch of them!"

Cat hauled herself to her feet, seeing the hand that tripped her had clawed most of its body out of the ground, and an actual skeleton was now poised to attack, and she didn't have her weapons ready.

She backed up, narrowly dodging the sword that was swung at her, when a large stone went crashing into the skeleton, bursting it apart. The stone had disappeared as well, and she realized that it was a spell. Cat hung her head, and caught her breath; looking up when she saw a hand held out in front of her, offering help to her feet.

She looked up at Merrill and grabbed her hand, picking herself up. She was slightly surprised at the strength which Merrill pulled, and noted that she was stronger than she looked.

"Thank you," Cat said.

"Oh! No- no problem. I've done a little bit of fighting before, but I was more worried about hitting the wrong person. I'm glad I didn't!"

Cat chuckled, "That's true for anyone, not just mages."

"Princess, why do I get the feeling you knew she was a mage?" Varric said, wincing as soon as the nickname left his mouth.

Cat turned to glare at him. "Firstly, no. Just no. Secondly, of course she's a mage. All keepers are mages, so any apprentice would also be a mage."

"How did you know that?" Merrill asked, gaping at her.

"I'd like to know that myself," Carver added.

"I spent some time in Ferelden travelling with a group, one of whom was an elf," Cat said to Merrill with a smile.

"Cat, you say that like it's an explanation, but it only brings up more questions," Varric said, as Merrill came close to Cat excitedly.

"I'm from Ferelden as well! Do you miss it? We left to escape the blight, which was good, but sometimes I wish I were still there."

"I know how that is," Cat replied, as she and Merrill started walking up the path again. They continued talking while the others looked on, then at each other is disbelief, then hurried after them.

A short while later, they came across a camp, where a lone hunter was cleaning his catch. He sneered as he caught sight of Merrill and Cat, and the others behind them. He stood, rounding the fire to step in front of them.

"So! The keeper __finally__ found someone to take you from here."

"Yes," Merrill replied quietly.

" _ _Good!"__ he said contemptuously. "Hurry and finish your task, Shem," he said to Cat. "We cannot be rid of this one soon enough!"

Merrill seemed to momentarily wilt, but her pride snapped her back straight. "I will save our clan! Whether you approve, or not!" She stormed forward, determined to not let the hunter reply.

"What a jerk," Carver commented as he followed, glancing back to see the hunter return to his task.

"This does bring up a question Merrill," Varric said. He glanced at Hawke, seeing him still silently brooding over who knew what. "If you leave here, you'll be a mage, in a city full of templars."

"Yes, that's true," she said. She interrupted herself, as she gestured towards the large pile of boulders blocking the path. "A landslide blocked the path, but there is a cave nearby, that should still get us to the top." She gestured for the others to follow, as she turned to move up a smaller, newer path. "But if I don't go to Kirkwall," she said, continuing the former conversation, "I'll be alone. In the city, I can get lost, blend in. A solitary elf out here? Is easy prey."

"Fair warning Cat," Carver said with a smirk as they entered the cave, "it looks like spiders." He looked back to Garrett and Fenris, who were now walking side by side, silently, seemingly hoping for assistance in his teasing. Seeing that he was not getting what he sought, he sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Do we know anyone that isn't brooding every hour of the day?" he complained.

Fenris looked up, and quipped back, "Like attracts like it seems," then continued silently on.

Cat's smile appeared momentarily, before disappearing again as she glanced back. __Fenris was often silent, though not always brooding. But Hawke? This was very unusual, especially that is was lasting this long,__ she thought.

She quickly forgot about it, as Carver was proved right, and giant spiders came rushing at them. The fight was quick but difficult, and Cat was very glad at the slight breeze she felt once they left the cave, as she was very sweaty.

The group stood in front of a graveyard, the entrance marked with a large stone archway in front of them. In front of the archway, was a bright blue barrier, and Cat reached out to touch it.

"No," Merrill said, blocking her hand. "It will protect itself."

Cat put her hand back down, though she was disappointed. Merrill pulled out a small knife and made a small cut across three of her fingers. Using her other hand, the blood rushed from her hand to the barrier, and with another movement, from Merrill, the barrier disappeared.

"Blood magic? Foolish."

Cat knew what was happening, yet she was still somewhat impressed. It was difficult to think of blood magic as evil, as the others did. Though, being somewhat taboo, it was also exciting. There wasn't another mage she would trust to do blood magic while she watched on.

"Yes, it was blood magic, but I know what I'm doing. The spirit helped us."

The group was quiet, and Hawke stepped forward. "Sure, they're very helpful. Right up until they take over your mind and body, and make you a monster that others have to put down."

"Well… yes." Merrill looked nervous, but she stood her ground. "But that won't happen because I know how to defend myself."

Hawke made a noise, that sounded like he didn't care, but everyone around could tell he had somewhat come out of his funk. He didn't like to see other mages suffer, nor cause suffering for others. He cared, and probably more than he should.

"Be careful up ahead," Merrill cautioned as Hawke gestured to Aveline and Carver to lead the group forward. "The dead are no longer sleeping peacefully here."

They went forward cautiously, seeing the altar ahead on an outcropping of rock. They moved onward, Cat, Merrill, and Varric in the middle, looking out to the sides, and Fenris, Hawke and Hafter in the back, constantly glancing back. It seemed that they would make it without incident, and they all relaxed slightly.

 _ _Of course!__ Cat yelled internally, as the Arcane horror rose up, followed by more skeletons. They immediately turned outward, their backs together, as they took stock of the situation. Cat could see the bright light of the spell the horror was inflicting on them, and she rushed forward with her daggers, intent on getting rid of it first. Seeing Aveline's shield up before it, and her sword thrusting at the horror from the front, Cat skirted around to it's back and began stabbing it repeatedly.

She was nowhere near the grace or speed of Isabela, but Cat knew where to stab to inflict the most damage. Each stab seemed more and more difficult, as if her energy was failing rapidly, and she struggled and pushed with all her might to get the horror to fall.

Between the two of them, they were finally able to bring the horror down, and it sank into the ground. Exhausted, Cat fell on her knees, her hands on the ground in front of her as she panted. She had no idea what the spell was, but it had been extremely effective. If Aveline had not been there to take the brunt of it, she doubted she would still be conscious.

By the time Cat got to her feet, the fight was finished, and her friends were eyeing the altar, except for Fenris.

"Hawke," he said, getting everyone's attention. "Should we scout further ahead? I do not want to be taken by surprise during the rite."

"That's a good idea," Hawke replied. "though I don't think we need to go all the way to the top. Perhaps just around the next bend?"

Aveline and Carver waited for the Cat, Varric and Merrill to follow after Fenris and Hawke before they took position behind them. Cat smiled as she thought of Hawke's attention to detail in keeping the squishier people safe from ambushes, by always having a warrior at the front and rear of the group.

"Shades!"

The yell went out, and everyone tensed. Cat could see the dark, shadowy forms moving across the ground towards them. How they could move so quickly and yet still look like they were creeping, was beyond her.

"Stay back!" Aveline yelled to her, and she looked around, noting that each shade was being occupied by at least one of their group.

"AAH! Revenant!" Merrill screamed.

"Wha-?!" Carver tried to reply.

"Pride demon, possessing a corpse!" Merrill hurried to explain. "Very tough and powerful, we'll need powerful attacks in order to kill it!"

Cat looked around, seeing Varric flip back away from the shade he was engaged with. Carver, Fenris and Hawke were all finishing off their shades, and beginning to attack the revenant. Hafter and Aveline were going two on two with shades, and Merrill was readying a spell to hit the revenant with.

Decision made, Cat began to move toward the revenant. She put her smaller, easier to wield daggers back in their sheaths at the small of her back, and reaching overhead, pulled out the daggers that Isabela had gotten her. They were larger, with curved blades, and wickedly sharp. __This is why Issy makes you use them, for situations like this,__ Cat told herself.

She paused, waiting for Merrill's attack to hit, readying her weapons, and tensing her muscles. __Here goes nothing, explosive strike!__

The vines that had wrapped around the revenant were torn away as it stepped towards Merrill, and Cat struck. In one smooth motion, she leaped in and buried her blades into its back, twisting and pulling them out with a burst of power, then rolling back over her shoulder and away. She heard the unearthly scream of the revenant, and she scurried to find cover as the others pressed their advantage. She continued to back up, but she could feel the malevolent gaze of the creature, as it turned to keep her in its sights.

Without warning, it swung out, knocking back all the others, and reaching toward her, she could feel a cold spectral hand grabbing her and pulling her in.

"CAT!"

She could hear the yell, but could not discern who had made it, her head was swimming, and as she looked up into the visage of the revenant, she truly knew what horror was. Cat saw its giant sword swinging in, and then… nothing.

* * *

"NO!"

Hawke screamed, his rage and agony combined in something that left him raw. He pushed forward only to be held back by Aveline, and he struggled against her.

"Wait, Hawke! The spell!" Aveline yelled in his ear, but he just twisted and pushed, trying to break free. She grappled back, using all her strength and training to keep him at bay while Merrill finished her petrify spell. Stone pieces from all directions came flying in, entombing the revenant so that it could not move, though Aveline could still hear it scream, a sound that would surely haunt her dreams.

Hawke used all his strength, and finally broke free of her grasp. He ran forward, chanting __No…no…no…__ over and over again in his mind. __It's my fault, my fault.__

He went down as he neared Cat, sliding to a stop as he pulled her in his arms, and putting his hand on her neck. __Please be alive…__

He held his breath, though he had no idea that he had done so, until he felt her pulse, faint, but there. His breath whooshed out in relief, and he hung his head to hers. He could hear the sounds of the others as they took apart the creature while it was frozen in place, but his concentration was on the feeling of her heart as it beat, the soft sound of her breath near his ear.

 _ _It was almost his worst nightmare brought to life. Someone that he lead, someone that he swore to protect- had almost died, and it was his fault. He was the one who was supposed to take risks, he was the leader, so he should have had a plan. Instead he led them into a trap, and giving no direction, watched as one of his people was cut down.__

* * *

The first thing that came in to focus, was the smell. It wasn't a bad smell, but it wasn't something she could name either. It was something she had never smelled before, and she laid there, just breathing it in, over and over, trying to memorize it.

Soon after, she could hear something. There was plenty of noise, all around her in fact. But this was different. It was soft, and she strained her ears to hear it. A voice, saying… saying… she grew frustrated as she tried to understand, listening again.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… please don't go…"

Her tension left as she finally understood, and she wondered mildly why anyone would want to leave. It smelled nice, it sounded nice… it felt… nice.

As her focus changed to what she could feel, she took note of several things. There was pressure, on one side of her face, where something soft, but furry was resting, and on her neck, something behind her, holding her up, and…

PAIN.

The focus changed, and Cat's eyes flew open, as the pain hit her again. She gasped in a breath, trying to steel herself against the onslaught. She blinked rapidly, her hair in her eyes, and she tried to shake her head to get it out of the way.

It suddenly was gone, and as she looked up with her teeth clenched, she realized, Hawke had been holding her, in fact, it was his hair that had been in her face, his stubbly beard against her cheek… his hand, on her neck, now moving up to cup her cheek. His scent… his voice, telling her to stay.

Cat looked up at him, unsure of what was going on, knowing that something had happened. They just looked at each other, neither moving, until the pain became intolerable, and Cat hissed, and tried to move her hand to her wound.

"Here. Get her to drink this," she heard, though she was unable to see who. She watched as Hawke moved his hand from her cheek, and grabbed a small bottle. Pulling the stopper out with his teeth, he spat it to the side, and brought the bottle to her lips.

"Drink it, nice and easy," he said softly. "It's a healing potion, it will help for now."

Cat could hardly believe how long it took for her to actually down the potion, but she could feel the effects, and sighed in relief, her eyes closing.

"Cat," Hawke said, a little more sharply. "Stay with us now."

She opened her eyes, finally able to see beyond Hawke, to her other friends that were all around her.

"Um, sorry?" she croaked, happy that she saw a few smiles.

"Sorry, Killer? Whatever for?" Varric teased. "Not like Isabela is going to gut us all or anything…"

Cat laughed, then groaned in pain. "No laughing, I'm begging you," she said, grimacing. "And no, that's the worst one yet."

Varric shook his head, but was smiling. "You gave us quite the scare there," he said quietly, looking over at Hawke. Cat followed his eyes, facing back forward and looking up into Hawke's face. This time, she didn't meet his eyes, as he was staring intently on her wound,, and clearing her throat, she looked around to the others.

"Is everyone else all right?" she asked. "Fenris? Hafter? Carver? Merrill?"

"They're fine," Aveline said. "Just checking around to make sure we won't have any more surprises."

Cat gave a sigh of relief, and then couldn't help but ask, "How bad is it?"

"You'll have an epic looking scar…" Varric said, trailing off.

"I'm honestly surprised you're still alive," Aveline said bluntly. "You must have fell back as the sword came at you, which saved your life. Otherwise, well, I'm sure you can imagine."

Cat reached up, gently feeling the skin around her wound. It started just below her right ear, and ended above her left breast. Her armor, and passing out had most definitely saved her life, she realized, if this was the wound __after__ a healing potion.

"Help me up, would you Hawke?" she asked, feeling a little uncomfortable, as he continued to stare at the wound. "Hawke?" she questioned again, and he seemed to snap out of it.

"What?" he asked, looking up to her eyes again.

"Help me up?" she asked.

He shifted, bringing his hand away from her face and gripping under her knees, he stood, bringing her with him, so that she was in his arms bridal style.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You are not carrying me."

"You are not walking, you're injured," he said, with an incredulous look. "Don't be foolish."

"But…but…" Cat search around, for any reason to be put down. "You've got the rite thing to do, and I'll just take it easy while you do that, besides, the healing potion helped loads… and… Fenris!" she said as she spotted him. "Fenris can help me!" she waved him over.

Fenris walked forward, looking intently at her wound. "It appears to be better, though it will be quite the scar."

"That's what I said," Varric added.

"Cat, you all right?" Carver asked, looking uneasy.

"Yes, I just really need to walk. Fenris, can you help me, so Hawke can do the rite thing with Merrill?"

"Certainly."

Hawke frowned, looking between Cat and Fenris, but he finally eased her legs down so she could stand. He held on as she shook, and stumbled, Fenris grabbing her uninjured shoulder, and her waist.

 _ _What is wrong with me?__ Garrett asked himself as he let go of her. He ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head to clear it. "All right then, let's go… nice and easy. Merrill, you're with me," he said.

"Right," she answered, but like all of them, her eyes were still on Cat. Fenris ceased her attempts at walking, handing his sword to Aveline, and crouching in front of her. She placed her arms around his neck loosely, and he stood, holding her legs on either side of his body.

 _ _She has no problem letting Fenris carry her…__ Hawke grumbled to himself. He shook his head again, as he walked off, the others following behind. He really didn't want to delve into what he was feeling, so he put it out of his mind... or tried to. __Obviously, it's been too long since I've enjoyed female company. Combined with almost losing her, he was bound to feel attached at the moment.__

Back home there were plenty of girls that fancied him, and Hawke had never seen the need or had the desire to visit a brothel. But as he tried to get the woman behind him out of his mind, the image of her face as he conjured a spell stuck in his head- her eyes wide, biting her lip… he had never forgotten how she looked then.


	36. Chapter 36- Meeting Asha'bellanar

Hawke stood in front of the altar, unimpressed. It was basically a large stone slab resting on the ground. True there were candles of some sort, and their flame didn't really look like normal fire, but that was his least concern. He wanted to get this over with, and get his group back home.

He glanced behind him as Fenris crouched to let Cat off his back, noting again that they were constantly touching each other. True, it wasn't flirtatious like Isabela, the way she would brush up against one of them, or graze their arm with her fingertips; it was different, yet still irritating.

One of the first things he had noticed about Fenris was how he would avoid touching or being touched by others, even in the slightest ways. Yet, with Cat… something was definitely going on, and he felt that he should know what it was.

"Hawke?"

Merrill flinched back a step as he turned to her with a glare, and she almost lost her nerve.

"Um… should I start the rite?"

"Yes."

"All right, perhaps everyone should stand back a bit? I'm not certain what will happen, if anything."

Hawke's glare didn't ease as he took several steps back, though he did turn to ensure all of his group was behind him, and ready.

At his nod, Merrill began the rite.

"Hahren na melana sahlin." Cat was sure she wasn't the only one transfixed by the beauty of the language, but she didn't look around to see. She felt enraptured by not only the words, but the flow of them, like poetry. "Emma ir abelas souver'inan isala hamin vhenan him dor'felas. In uthenera na revas."

The bright lights that suddenly appeared had the group shielding their eyes, and Cat gasped softly as she saw Flemeth for the first time. She was suddenly glad that Fenris was helping her stand.

"A witch!" she heard him say, his tone guarded.

"Andaran Atishan, Asha'bellanar," Merrill greeted her with a curtsy.

Flemeth turned to Merrill, a slight smile on her face. "One of the people… I see. Do you know who I am, beyond that title?"

"I know very little," Merrill admitted.

"Then stand. The people bow their knee too quickly." Flemeth gave Merrill an encouraging look.

"So nice to see a bargain kept," she turned to address Hawke, who was standing with his arms crossed, his frown apparent, and Hafter poised at his side to attack at his command. "I half expected my amulet to end up in a merchant's pocket."

"I keep my word," Hawke said shortly. "Though you could have told me you were inside it."

"A bit of security, should the inevitable occur," she answered with a smirk. "And if I know my Morrigan, it already has."

There was a pause, and Flemeth looked at each of Hawke's companions. Fenris took the moment to speak up.

"You are no simple witch. I have seen powerful mages, spirits, and abominations yet you are none of those."

"Such a curious lad," Flemeth appraised him. "The chains are broken, but are you truly free?"

"You see a great deal," Fenris murmured.

Cat gulped as Flemeth's gaze stayed with her, trying not to show her nerves, but it was difficult, knowing what she did.

"Wait…" Hawke said, and Flemeth gave Cat a small smirk before turning back to him. "Morrigan? Is that someone I should know?"

"She's a girl who thinks she knows what is what better than I, or anyone. Ha ha! And why not? It's who I raised her to be. Don't you agree?" she asked, looking back at Cat, who nodded.

Hawke was confused, but didn't really care, so he continued on. "Why not just come yourself? Why all this secrecy?"

"Because I did not want to be followed," Flemeth turned, looking out around the mountainside. Turning back, she walked a few steps closer to Hawke, "You smuggled me here quite nicely." At his uneasy glance, she added, "Know that you may have saved my life, as surely as I saved yours. An even trade, I think."

"You have plans then?" he asked.

With a nod, Flemeth turned to look at Cat again. "Destiny awaits us all, dear boy." Cat shifted uncomfortably, wanting to ask something, anything… but coming up blank.

Fenris tensed, and Cat held her breath as Flemeth came closer. She looked closely at Cat's neck, examining the injury, and reaching out her hand.

"Are we going to regret bringing her here?" Carver asked Hawke loudly, and everyone turned to look at Hawke.

"Regret." Flemeth said softly, and they all turned back. Cat could feel the magic working on her skin, but it was different than Anders' and felt foreign. Flemeth continued to speak softly. "Regret is something I know well. Take care not to cling to it, to hold so close, that it poisons your soul."

She lowered her voice even more, and Cat could barely hear her. "Do not look so long upon the closed door, that you do not see the one which has opened for you." Finished in her ministrations, she stepped back, and Cat practically collapsed into Fenris in exhaustion.

"Wait…" she mumbled.

Flemeth turned to Merrill. "Step carefully- no path is darker, than when your eyes are shut."

"Ma serranas, Asha'bellanar," Merrill answered.

Cat wavered, trying desperately to stay awake, as her mind reeled. __Flemeth had healed her… Why? Was she involved in her life somehow?__

"Wait…" Cat mumbled again, and felt herself drooping.

Fenris looked at Cat in concern, and helped her down to the ground. She was practically asleep on her feet, and knew the exhaustion would overtake her soon. He looked at her injury, and was shocked. It was not only healed, it looked as if it had happened months ago instead of hours. There was no redness, no puckering, simply a white scar line across her neck, and if the blood was not still staining her skin and clothes he might have thought he imagined the whole thing.

He missed what Hawke and the witch spoke of, but looked up in time to see her transform herself into a high dragon and take flight.

Hawke turned around, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Just as clear as the last time we spoke," he said, frustrated. "Let's go."

Fenris watched the dragon fly a moment more, before picking Cat up, and following after Hawke.

* * *

The dalish elves were more than happy to send them off, but Hawke took a moment to speak to the keeper again. He didn't know if he would need to come this way again, and friendships with others made his life easier.

The keeper was unlike the other elves, hoping that at some point Merrill would change her mind and return to them. She told Hawke that he was a friend to the clan, and welcome anytime.

Merrill, trying to keep herself from crying, said "Let's go," and quickly started out of the camp.

Thankfully, they weren't ambushed this time.

The group had made it back to Kirkwall, and Cat still hadn't woken up. Varric was the first to voice their collective worry.

"So… what are we going to tell Rivaini?" he said. "I'm not in the mood to die today."

"It would help if Cat was awake," Carver added. "Then she could take the brunt of it."

"Nice," Aveline said, disparagingly. "She may be mad, but there isn't any reason to take it out on us. We fought our hardest, and injuries happen. At least she is healed, and will be fine."

"That's really all we can do," Hawke agreed. He looked at his group. "Fenris and I will get her home, Varric, you and Aveline take Merrill to the alienage, will you? I spoke to Arianni, and she said Merrill is more than welcome to take over her house there."

"Oh, that was smart, Hawke," Varric acknowledged. "I hadn't even thought of that."

"And that's why, I'm the leader," Hawke said with a smirk, and Varric grinned back, just happy to see Hawke acting somewhat like himself. __The grumpy Hawke was too much like Junior.__

"Carver, will you tell mother I'll be home soon?" Hawke asked his brother, who nodded and walked away, Hafter following reluctantly after him at Hawke's gesture.

"Come with us Merrill, we'll show you to your new home," Varric said gesturing to let her go first, and Aveline handed Fenris' sword to Hawke.

Merrill turned to Hawke. "Thank you Hawke. Uh… will you come and visit me?" she asked, "not right now, of course… but sometime? It would be nice to have a friend."

Hawke smiled. "Of course, Merrill. And thank you for all your help today. Without that petrify spell, we probably would have lost Cat," he said, and they both turned to look at the sleeping woman in Fenris' arms.

"I'm glad she's all right," Merrill added. "I enjoyed spending time with her."

"I'm sure she felt the same," Hawke said with a smile. "We'll see you later."

Merrill followed after Varric and Aveline, not really paying attention to the turns they took, as she thought about Hawke. He was much nicer than she had first thought, and she was glad that she had seen this side of him. Otherwise, she might have been too afraid to ask him to visit, and then she definitely would have been all alone.

"Here we are!" Varric said cheerfully, and Merrill snapped out of her thoughts, looking around.

"Is… is this __really__ where the elves live?"

* * *

Hawke and Fenris walked in silence. They had stopped at the Hanged Man, but Isabela had not been there, so they walked on towards their small home. Knocking at the door, and getting no response, Hawke simply opened the door, glancing inside. Finding no one, he stepped in and held the door for Fenris.

"Do you know which bed is hers?" Fenris asked, looking from one to the other.

"And why would I know that?" Hawke replied sardonically.

Fenris grunted in reply, and choosing the less opulent looking one, set Cat down upon it. He sat her up, looking back at Hawke in question. "A little help?" he asked, which had Hawke stepping forward.

"With what?"

Hawke knew Fenris could convey many things with just a look, but he wasn't a mind reader, and didn't appreciate the look he was getting now.

"I doubt she'll sleep well with her weapons on," he finally replied, and Hawke felt like an idiot.

"Right," he said, getting to work. Cat was wearing her crossbow and no less than three different holsters for her daggers, and Hawke felt only slightly uncomfortable as he set the crossbow aside and started unbuckling the first, on her back.

He noted that Fenris was holding her gently, and her head was resting on his arm, and he finally decided to ask.

"Cat has always been one to touch others, even from the start," he began, and Fenris looked up in question. "And at first, I could tell that it bothered you, but it doesn't seem that way anymore."

Fenris looked down, and Hawke waited patiently. Fenris had always been completely honest with him, but sometimes had trouble finding the right words for his feelings. Hawke couldn't imagine having been a slave, and suppressing all of one's emotions, and gave Fenris all the time he needed.

"I suppose, you are right," Fenris finally answered. "I hadn't really thought about it, but as we have become… close, there is more… trust? I suppose that is the right word."

"So, it's a matter of trust in the person then?" Hawke asked, curiously as he set the daggers and holsters aside, and moved to her belt holster.

"I… I am not certain," Fenris admitted. "Or perhaps I simply became used to her touch after a while, I do not know."

Hawke set aside the belt, and looked up at his friend. "I do not want to push you, I am simply curious." He held out his hand, so Fenris could see his intention, he placed it on his shoulder. "Does this bother you?" he asked.

Fenris exhaled, relaxing the muscles that had tensed in response. "Slightly, though not as much as it once would have."

Hawke removed his hand, and smiled. "Well, then I suppose that could mean that you trust me more, or that you are getting used to others touching you. Either way, I'd say that's a good thing."

"I suppose so," Fenris replied, as he cradled Cat's head, and laid her down. Both men then looked at her thigh holsters, though neither moved.

"Uh, perhaps…" Hawke started, but Fenris merely reached forward and began unbuckling them. Hawke noted that they were slightly more complicated than a normal thigh holster, wrapping around each leg, instead of being on a belt worn around the waist. He also noted that Fenris had no problem having his hands… where he did.

"Can you get her boots?" Fenris asked, breaking the silence, and Hawke jumped slightly.

"Uh, sure," he said, moving over to the end of the bed, and began loosening the laces, pulling off each boot in turn. He watched as Fenris stood, and pulled a blanket off the other bed, and covered Cat with it, and he felt something sink inside him, as he saw Fenris tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

 _ _No… I'm sure that didn't mean anything.__

Fenris walked over to where his sword was leaning, and placed it back in its sheath upon his back. Hawke stood as well, looking back to Cat's sleeping form, and then at Fenris.

 _ _Just my imagination running wild,__ Hawke thought. __It was a ridiculous thought.__

He stepped forward to follow Fenris out of the home, and placed his hand upon his shoulder again, giving it a pat. "Good job today, I'm grateful to have you with us."

Fenris felt the touch, smiling slightly at the thought that it hadn't bothered him at all. Now that it was brought to his attention, he could see the change for the better that was happening within him, and he was… proud.

"Thank you," he replied, grateful that he had somehow stumbled into the people he hadn't known he so desperately needed.

* * *

It wasn't long until Hawke entered his Uncle's home, weary down to his bones.

"Garrett? Is that you?"

Hawke looked up as his mother came into the main room, and greeted him with a hug.

"Darling, you look tired. I hope you aren't getting in over your head with this expedition business?"

"Just a trying day, Mother," he replied. "One of our companions was hurt, and we almost lost her."

"Aveline?" She asked, full of concern.

"No, Aveline is fine," he answered, as she led him over to a chair in front of the fire, keeping his hand gripped in her own. "Her name is Cat, and she was injured, but looks like she'll be fine."

"Thank the Maker," she said quietly. "I'm glad you have people that help you. I worry enough now, I'd hate to think how bad I would worry if it were just you and Carver doing these jobs." She gave him a look as she added, "not that you tell me much about them…"

"I can handle it Mother, I just don't want you to worry yourself," he said, patting her hand. "They are an excellent group, we just were… caught off guard."

"You know, I would like to meet these friends of yours sometime," she began with a smirk. "You're never too old to bring your friends home to meet your mother."

Hawke chuckled, "No, but sometimes your friends aren't the type you would bring home to meet your mother," he said, and chuckled again at seeing his mother pouting. "Perhaps sometime," he relented, and she beamed at him.

"You know any friend of yours is welcome," she said as she stood up. "If you've kept them close, then there has to be something special about them, right?" She leaned down to kiss his forehead, and said goodnight, leaving him to stare into the fire, alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Isabela knew she was not a patient woman, but thought that as of now, she could be considered a saint for how much leeway she was granting the her newest contact. She raised her hand, scrubbing it over her face, again, and gave a huge sigh.

"Look Anton, I will say this only once," she said quietly, then reached out suddenly to grab his collar and pull him down to they were eye to eye. "You get the information… __then__ you contact me. I have waited all day, and wasted plenty of coin. Now I find that you don't have __anything__ worthwhile for me." She sneered at the man, and her voice grew harsh. "This had better not __ever… happen… again.__ Understand?"

As his head began bobbing up and down, Isabela pushed him away in disgust. __Men,__ she thought. __Always thinking women have nothing better to do than come running whenever they call.__

She continued to fume as she made her way home. The day had been one bad deal after another, and now here she was, with no money and a wasted day, and nothing to show for either. She was almost wishing someone would pick a fight, just so she could let off some steam.

After several hours, several drinks, and one bar fight later, Isabela finally made it home. She walked in, only to find Cat asleep in bed, though with her own blanket on top of her. She stopped, confused. __Nope, that can't be right,__ she thought, as her head swam slightly. __Oh well.__

Isabela quickly shed her boots, only falling over once, and since her blanket was on top of Cat, she nudged her over, and climbed in next to her. __We'll talk about stealing blankets in the morning,__ she thought as she quickly fell asleep.


	37. Chapter 37- The Gallows

Cat awoke slowly, feeling herself being moved, but not quite ready to open her eyes. She let out a groan, though it was small, and stretched her arms up, surprised at how good she felt.

Her eyelids fluttered as she opened them, trying to get used to the light around her. Hearing a noise near her she groggily asked, "Issy?"

"I'm here," she was answered, much closer than she had been expecting. Her eyes opened fully, and she watched Isabela walk away with a blood stained shirt. Looking down, she noticed the blood stain on her skin.

"Haven't I mentioned something about undressing me?" she asked ruefully, but when Isabela turned back, she wasn't wearing a smirk.

"I couldn't look at it any longer," she replied, walking over to a bin they used for trash. "And I can't save it," she added as she threw the shirt away. "I'm surprised you didn't wake up sooner… I may have been a little loud when I first noticed it.."

Cat winced. "I'm sure that wasn't pleasant."

"No, not really," Isabela said, a smirk finally gracing her lips, making Cat sigh in relief. __It was just too strange when Issy was serious.__ Isabela came back with a wet cloth, sitting next to Cat on the bed. "It took some time, but I finally saw that you were all right, and sporting a new scar." She reached out, running her hand over the scar just below Cat's ear.

"Turns out yesterday was much more eventful than any of us thought it would be," Cat said with a smile.

"Tell me?" she asked, handing over the cloth.

"Of course," Cat replied, as she began to clean herself of blood.

They spent the next hour talking over the details of the day before, with Cat downplaying most of the fighting, except for the revenant. She wanted Isabela to be prepared in case they came across one again.

Isabela didn't speak much, but she did share some of her own day, telling Cat about the horrible waste it all had been.

"Well, at least you got rid of Hayder, that's bought us time, right?" Cat asked, and Isabela nodded.

"But Castillon will find us eventually, so I __have__ to find that relic."

"We'll find it Issy," Cat said encouragingly.

"No Kitty, I want you to stay out of it,"

"What?" Cat asked, confused. "I'm already involved."

"Yes, with Hawke, and all that. But I'm going to take care of the relic on my own. Hawke and his crew don't know what it is, and I want to keep it that way."

Cat didn't reply, the stubborn tone of Isabela's voice was nothing she couldn't handle, but the pleading look on her face was new.

"Issy…" Cat began, unsure how to proceed.

"Please Kitty," Isabela asked, grabbing Cat's hand and squeezing it. "Let me try to do this my way."

"Okay," Cat said, unable to hold out. "But as soon as it gets too risky, or Castillon sends someone else…"

"If that happens, you won't be the only one I ask to help," Isabela cut in. "But I can do this… before that happens."

Cat nodded. She knew too well that the relic wouldn't be found until there was a buyer for it, so she could give this to Isabela. She just worried for what came after, especially if Isabela kept her distance from Hawke's crew, like yesterday. Hawke's influence was what had her returning in the game… and Cat needed to make sure Isabela wasn't going anywhere this time either.

Cat's stomach took that moment to let out a loud growling noise, which had both of them laughing.

"Breakfast?" Cat asked hopefully, pulling the blanket up under her armpits.

"It's almost past midday, no wonder you're hungry," Isabela replied. She got up and walked over to her bag, pulling out a few biscuits and cheese. "It's not much, but it will tide you over until we can go get something hot."

"This is great!" Cat said enthusiastically, and started pulling off bits of bread and cheese to stuff in her mouth. "Mmm…" she said. "It's so good!"

Isabela's eyebrow rose. "If that's good, you probably won't be very picky about lunch," she mused. There was a sudden banging on the door, and Isabela walked over, shaking her head at Cat's cheeks stuffed full of food.

She opened the door, seeing Anders first, looking like he was all out of sorts. "Is Cat here? Is she awake? Is she okay?" he asked in rapid succession. Isabela gave a jerk of her head, letting him come in and see for himself, then stepped out, closing the door behind her, and leaning against the door jamb.

She studied the group in front of her, most of them looking scared or guilty, __probably wondering if I'm going to stab them,__ she thought, but kept the smirk from taking over her features.

Hawke stepped forward, "Hello Isabela," he said. "We told Anders what happened, and that Cat was fine, but he wanted to check for himself."

She didn't move, and Hawke eyed her. __She was obviously trying to intimate me,__ he thought, and continued to smile. "Did you miss me yesterday?" he asked cheekily, waggling his eyebrows. __Aha! That almost got a smile, so she isn't angry.__

"Oh yes," she answered. "But I found someone else who filled in quite nicely." She smirked back up at him, as he laughed.

"We did try to find you last night to tell you," he said, getting serious again.

"I was busy," she answered.

"Busy?" he repeated, in question.

"Did you want a demonstration?" she asked softly, coming closer, and trailing her hand along his arm.

"Now is… hardly the time," he replied, just as softly.

"Well, you know where to find me, when you change your mind."

Hawke grinned at her, noting how easy it was talking with her, and how easy it would be to do more than talk. It seemed a simple solution to his problems of late. She was beautiful, she was eager, and there would undoubtedly be no complications.

"Come on in, Kitty will want to see you all," Isabela said, breaking him from his thoughts, as she opened the door behind her, holding it open for the five of them and the dog to enter. "It isn't much, but we call it… a hovel."

"It isn't like we are here very much," Cat spoke up from the right side of the room, laying in bed and looking behind her to give Anders a better view of her scar, while he poked and prodded. "Between the beds and the two chairs, we should have enough seats for everyone," she said as she went to sit up. She pulled the blanket along with her. "Uh, Issy, can you get me a shirt?" she said, embarrassment pinking her cheeks.

"You don't need to wear a shirt just for us," Merrill commented as she sat down on Isabela's bed. "We want you to be comfortable."

"I think that's why she needs a shirt, Daisy," Varric said, pulling out one of the chairs and flipping it around so he would face the room. Anders was already sitting next to Cat on her bed, and Carver immediately sat by Merrill, which had Cat suppressing a grin. Fenris moved to sit in the other chair, so Hawke decided to sit on the other side of Merrill, so that he could see everyone.

Isabela threw Cat a shirt, and she pulled it over her head, feeling infinitely better, and she patted the bed next to her, to offer Isabela a seat.

"So, Anders?" Hawke asked.

"You were right, she's completely healed," he answered. "From the look of the scar, it would have taken a large amount of magic to heal it completely so quickly. You said she was a witch?"

They all nodded, and Carver spoke up. "When we first met her, back in Ferelden, Aveline called her a witch of the wilds, though she seems much stronger than that."

"Hmm," Anders said as he pondered this new information.

"What I thought was strange," Cat said. "Was how her magic felt so different."

"Different how?" Hawke asked curiously.

"Well, different than when I've been healed before."

"Cat, every mage's magic will feel different, just as each mage is different," Anders explained.

"But… yours felt the same as Wynne's did. But then Flemeth's was so different."

"Wynne?" Hawke asked.

"Senior Enchanter Wynne?" Anders echoed. "From the Ferelden circle?"

"Uh, yeah. That's her. Anyway, when she healed me, it felt pretty much the same as when Anders does."

Anders was still looking at her curiously, but said, "I have heard some people say that magic from someone they know well can feel different, but I don't know how accurate that is."

"Like a friend compared to a stranger?" Cat asked.

He nodded. "Yes, though I don't really trust the source. It was just hearsay."

Cat nodded as well, as she thought. "But it makes sense, doesn't it?" she mused aloud. "Your magic is a part of you, and I know you, I trust you…"

Anders grinned at her, "Regardless, I'm just glad you were able to be healed. I must insist that you carry a healing potion, anytime you go with Hawke would be best, but especially if I am not there."

"Good advice for everyone," Hawke added. "Cat was hurt, but it could have been any of us. We're all very glad that Varric was prepared," he said as he gave Varric a nod. He turned back to Anders. "We should make time to work more on my own healing spells as well."

"Good idea," Anders added.

"It may be wise to get Cat some armor," Fenris added, and Cat frowned. Hafter chose that moment to leave Hawke, and walk over to Cat, putting his head as close to her lap as he could. She reached out, scratching him behind his ears, not listening to the boys discussing the merits of the idea.

"There is no need," Cat said, interrupting them. "I have some that may work." She had put it off using it for long enough. And while she didn't want to bring up questions of her past, she was pretty excited to finally get to wear it.

"Very well," Hawke replied. "It wouldn't hurt for the rest of us to outfits ourselves as well. If not for now, we will definitely want better armor in the Deep Roads."

That was a subject Cat wanted to avoid for now, so she asked, "What have you all been up to today?"

Everyone looked to Varric, for if anyone was going to tell the story, it should be the storyteller. Cat was an excellent audience, laughing at his jokes, gasping in all the dramatic pauses. Isabela noted that everyone seemed more entertained by Cat, then by the story.

Cat smiled, as she heard of the group finishing off the Flint Company, and returning to Hightown to talk to Sebastian. When Varric described the prince, Isabela gave Cat a sidelong glance and smirk.

"Sounds like someone Kitty and I should meet," she said, and Cat giggled.

"A real prince, huh?" she said as she laughed. "Could be worth a look."

Varric continued, though he looked around to gauge the reactions of the room. __The little kitten had no idea what she did to those around her, did she?__ He thought. He continued on, telling Cat of how they met a magistrate, and were sent to capture a criminal, only to discover that the man had killed several elven children. The magistrate was covering for him, due to the criminal being his son.

Cat's eyes narrowed. "How dare he?" she asked hotly.

"That's not the worst of it," Varric said, and Cat's eyes grew wider.

"What's the worst?" she asked.

"He then refused to pay us!" Varric said, as if he were wounded.

Cat smirked. "There are other ways of dealing with underhanded men that care more for their position than actually doing their job," she said with a wicked gleam in her eye.

"Remind me not to piss you off," Carver said, and Cat laughed again.

"I don't think I could pull anything off, but I believe in Varric to get what you all are owed," she replied.

"Madam, you flatter me," Varric said with a nod.

"So that's it?" Cat asked. "Then you came to see us?"

"Yes," Anders confirmed. "That's when I heard about yesterday, and I had to come and see if you were all right."

"That's sweet," Cat said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "Thank you for your concern. But you know these guys wouldn't leave me in bad condition," she said gesturing to all the others in the room. "Me, or anyone else. That's what makes us a crew."

"Well, this crew," Hawke said as he stood. "Is going to eat, and then start our next job." He looked between Cat and Isabela. "So… how about it?"

They looked at each other with a smirk, and answered together. "We're in."

* * *

"Wow, this feels fantastic," Cat said as she finally, __finally,__ donned her drake skin armor. True, she had tried it on before, but not with the intent of actually using it. __This was too good to be true!__

"It __looks__ fantastic too," Isabela said, checking out her backside.

Cat caught the tone, and turned, putting a hand on her hip and pouting. "What does that mean?"

Isabela copied her stance, and reaching out, skimmed a finger down her leather covered arm. "Let's just say, it's form fitting, and leave it at that."

Cat glanced down at herself, realizing what Isabela meant. The leather was a dark gray color, which Duran had requested in order to help Cat blend into her surroundings. There were no frills, no skirt, no… nothing elaborate, besides a belt that she could attach pouches and her sheath to. The top scooped around her collarbone, and the sleeves were more of an arm covering, only covering the tops of her arms and buckling in places underneath in order to stay in place. The gloves were thin, almost like a mesh, helping the air flow, and keeping her palms from sweating.

The pants were plain as well, though thick, and reached her shins. Her boots reached just below her knees, higher than she was used to, but not uncomfortable. Wade had placed metal pieces on the tops of her feet, ending in a small, sharp point, which Zev had commented would help in climbing, getting out of bonds, or distracting enemies.

Finishing her examination, Cat merely shrugged. "Yeah, it's snug," she replied. "But at least I won't be caught or grabbed by my clothes."

"That is true…" Isabela said as she began placing all her many daggers and knives on her person, and Cat decided strap on her own weapons. "I can't wait to see how the others react though."

Cat didn't flinch, knowing Isabela was just giving her a hard time. "I'm sure they've seen an armored woman before," she replied after a moment. Tying her thigh sheaths tightly, she shoved the daggers in place, and picked up her crossbow, stowing it on her back. "Are you ready?" she asked, heading to the door.

"After you, Kitty," she replied, walking over to exit after Cat. She wasn't disappointed in the slightest, as everyone took in the sight she had been enjoying for the past few minutes. Carver and Anders looked gobsmacked, Varric whistled in appreciation, Merrill smiled, and she and Fenris stepped closer to get a better look at the armor, asking Cat questions.

Isabela felt like crowing at Cat, and looked over at Hawke, her smirk falling from her lips.

Hawke stared at Cat as the others were, but there was more than the appreciation of some, more than the desire of others. It was a hunger, a craving… and Isabela looked over to Cat, and back to Hawke again, watching as he composed himself, the look disappearing suddenly before her eyes.

"I have to wonder what special occasion you were saving this for," Hawke teased, though he didn't step forward as the others had.

"Yes well, I got this in Ferelden, but then sailed with Isabela. I hadn't needed it, and to be honest, I wasn't sure if it would work or not," Cat replied, her cheeks pink.

"It is excellent quality," Fenris said, as he prodded her shoulder. "Do you know what type of leather it is?" he asked.

"Um, drake skin," she answered quietly.

That brought several eyebrows up, and Cat was quick to change the subject. "So! I'm ravenous!" She looked over at Hawke, "I believe, O illustrious leader, you said something about food?"

Hawke smiled, "That I did." He turned and began leading the way, the others following him towards the Hanged Man, talking animatedly.

Cat looked behind her. "Issy? You coming?"

"Yeah," Isabela said, shaking her thoughts away. She caught up and smirked at Cat. "What did I tell you Kitty?"

"I should know better than to bet against you Issy," Cat said, glancing over at Isabela with a smile. She was surprised at the intense look on her face, but then Isabela looked over and nodded.

"True. You should know by now that I __always win.__ "

* * *

Cat wasn't sure what she was watching, but she was enjoying it. True, Isabela was always a gigantic flirt, but Hawke usually ignored her advances. Since their meal, the two of them had been flirting as if no one else was around, and Cat found it adorable whenever Isabela made Hawke blush. Cat smiled fondly as she thought of a Hawke and Isabela romance.

"You've been staring at them for the past few minutes," Fenris said quietly as they walked through the docks.

"It's just a little hard to believe," Cat answered, just as softly. "They are so different! But, as they say back home, opposites attract."

"You think so? Perhaps they are merely wanting some company," he added, after glancing at the pair in front.

"I think Kitten here is a romantic," Varric jumped into the conversation.

"Shh!" Cat responded.

"Please. They're in their own little world, and can't even hear us."

"Did you say something Varric?" Hawke asked suddenly, and Varric flinched.

"Nothing Hawke!" Varric called back, trying not to wither under Cat's glare.

"You were saying?' Cat asked him, and he smiled back.

"Speaking of not telling Hawke things…" Varric changed the subject, putting Cat on the defensive. "Aveline asked me to confirm her suspicions of your actual employment."

He raised his hands, knowing she would protest. "I didn't say anything, but she took that to mean you were not actually employed as she once thought. Which begs the question… is it only Hawke and Junior that are still in the dark?"

Cat glanced around. "I suppose, though I don't know what Merrill knows, or doesn't know as the case may be."

"I don't know that Daisy has broached the subject as yet," Varric said with a smile. "She has found herself busy with Junior lately."

Cat returned his grin with one of her own. "I wish her luck," she said quietly, causing Fenris to snort, which in turn made her giggle.

"There it is… the Gallows." Varric gave a mock shudder. "The most wretched place in Kirkwall… which is saying something."

The group continued forward, though the atmosphere had changed, and their conversations if any, were hushed.

"This seems more like a prison than a circle," Fenris commented. "Are we certain it was wise to come here with mages?"

"Probably best to keep that part quiet," Varric muttered.

Fenris looked around as they walked into the courtyard, taking note of the statues and general look of the Circle's home.

"Does it seem more effective than the Circles elsewhere?" Cat asked him.

"It is dependent on which you are speaking of. Each is as different as its country of origin. Even those in Tevinter used to be the same, but then mages were allowed freedoms, even to the point of governing themselves, with the templars present only to help enforce the laws." Fenris' eyes narrowed as he thought of it.

"What happened next was inevitable. Now the mages rule, and the templars are merely puppets, used only in the political games the mages play."

"It seems the Circle doesn't work anywhere," Cat replied, looking around the Gallows as well.

"What then is the alternative? Yes, there is fear here, but that is natural when dealing with magic," he responded.

"The problem is, one mage determined to destroy, can ruin things for all others," Cat mused, her memories of Ferelden surfacing. "The circle in Ferelden almost fell completely, because one mage decided to not only willingly let a demon possess him, but then captured and forced other mages to become hosts."

Cat didn't even notice how the rest of the group came closer, listening intently. She continued her story to Fenris. "The templars barred the doors, keeping the abominations trapped, but all the innocent mages and templars that couldn't escape in time were trapped with them. It was horrific."

"What happened?" Fenris asked.

"The Hero of Ferelden had come to ask the mages for help, as a demon had possessed the son of the Arl of Redcliff. He had hoped to get mages to help in removing the demon from the boy.

"He and his group entered the tower, when the templars were fearful to do so. Along the way, they came across a group of mages that had constructed a barrier, blocking themselves from the reach of the others in order to remain safe. There was a senior enchanter among them, who wanted to help get rid of the abominations, and make her home safe again. Otherwise, once the templars received reinforcements, the entire circle would be purged."

Cat smiled as she remembered traversing the halls of the circle tower. It had been frightening at the time, but looking back, she was proud. "The hero and his group, including the enchanter, went from room to room, cutting down those that welcomed the chaos- demon, mage or templar. Eventually they made it to the top of the tower, where a young templar was being held, being tortured for who knows how long. After everything was done, and the demons defeated, this young templar was adamant that all the mages be killed, for who was to know if one of them was still a blood mage?"

Cat turned then, looking up at Fenris. "So who was right? Should they all die, in order to protect others? Even though the enchanter did all she could to help right the wrong that others created, should she have died as well because of the dangers her magic could cause?"

He looked down, avoiding her eyes, and deep in thought. "The templar is not wrong… but… it does not seem right to kill the enchanter."

"Just all the other mages?" she asked wryly.

"I…" He looked at her, confusion evident on his face. "I… am not certain."

"Yeah," Cat agreed. "That's why there is no easy answers to all of this." She reached out, patting Fenris' arm, letting him know there was nothing behind her questions. "If every mage were like the enchanter, a solution would be simple, but there are good and bad mages alike."

Cat looked around the Gallows, seeing the templars wandering around. "It would take something drastic to get where we want to be," she said softly, thinking of the future.

"Like what?" Fenris asked.

"Hmm?" Cat said, coming out of her thoughts. "Oh. Like a complete change. Perhaps… if the circle were more like a school, where mages willingly go to learn to control their powers, and how to defend themselves against demons. Other people would feel better around a mage, knowing they have gone through this schooling. Templars would also be there, helping, but also teaching mages the perspective of others, helping them fully understand their place in the world as a whole. Even those that are not mages could attend if desired, to better understand the dangers of magic."

"What would that accomplish?" Anders posed the question, though there were several that looked as if they were going to ask.

"Short term, maybe not much," she admitted. "But in the long run, there would be a greater understanding of magic, which would lead to less fear of mages themselves. True, those that use magic to harm would still be feared, but that is true of anyone that causes harm. Eventually, mages and templars could be part of the guard and other basic employments through the cities.

"How much more effective could the guard be with a mage in their ranks?" she asked with a smile. "People working together can accomplish SO much more than they can alone. Just look as all of us!"

"SO... not just a romantic, but an idealist as well," Varric said with a smile. "If only things could be so simple."

"Simple?" Cat asked. "Nothing I said would be simple."

"He means," Hawke interrupted, "that getting people to even try would be impossible. There is a lot of bad blood between the two groups. You would have an easier time getting the Tevinters and the Qunari to establish peace."

"Hmph," Cat grunted. "Nothing will ever change if people aren't willing to try."

Several of the group smiled at her, finding her optimism endearing.

"Those look like recruits over there," Carver said, pointing across the courtyard. We should ask about Keran."

"Good idea brother," Hawke said, and started walking towards them.


	38. Chapter 38- Enemies Among Us

A/N: Another early posting, but things are just flowing along, and I couldn't wait any longer!

* * *

Cat didn't say much as they walked along the coast, heading after a recruit named Wilmod, who had also disappeared, but just returned this morning.

"Are you all right?" Fenris asked quietly.

Cat nodded, though she couldn't bring herself to smile. "Just remembering a few details of this quest that are not pleasant," she answered softly. She was glad to be able to see Cullen again, making sure he was okay, but after that… she was worrying about going to the Rose. She hadn't thought about Idunna's role in all of this, and was hoping that perhaps she wasn't involved at all this time.

"That bad?" he asked, and she glanced at him.

"Nothing we can't handle," she assured him, but he didn't seem reassured, instead he became more alert for any approaching danger.

Suddenly Hawke started jogging forward, the rest of the group following, and Cat and Fenris had to run to keep up. As they came around a bend, they could hear the voices that had obviously spurred Hawke on.

"Please sir!"

"Tell me!"

Cat stopped as she recognized the two men. Cullen had the young templar recruit by the shoulders and was shaking him roughly.

"Andraste be my witness- I WILL have the truth from you!"

Wilmod looked like he would be ill, and once the shaking stopped he begged. "Mercy sir, please, don't hit me!"

Cullen leaned in and growled. "If only it were that easy!" and he reared his leg back, bring it forward to knee Wilmod in the stomach, and the young recruit collapsed on the ground coughing. Cat was wondering how effective it had actually been through the templar's armor, but forgot the thought as Cullen reached back and pulled out his sword, pointing it at Wilmod.

"I will know where you are going! Tell me now!"

Cat looked over at Hawke, who was standing next to Anders. Anders seemed indifferent to the recruit's plight, but Hawke was fuming. He had seen enough, and stepped forward.

"Hey! Stop that!" he called. "Why would you do this to your own man?"

Cullen glanced over momentarily, but returned his focus to Wilmod. "This is __templar__ business, stranger. Leave now, before you regret interrupting."

Before Hawke could reply, the young recruit rose up, having everyone gaping at him. He didn't stagger to his feet as one might expect, instead he rose as if he were lifted, or pulled up by a string- it was __very__ unnerving, even if one was expecting it.

Wilmod looked at Cullen, a wicked smile on his face, which had the Knight Captain falling back a step. He spoke, his voice a mixture of his own and something… else. "You have struck me for the last time, you pathetic human."

His skin began to bubble and bulge outward as he grew and stretched within his own skin. The group stood there, horrified as the they could hear the simultaneous scream and laughter as fire spewed from the creature. The arms raised, and the shout rang out, "To me!"

"Shades!" Cat heard Varric yell, as he ran sideways and flipped backward out of the front line. Weapons were grabbed, and everyone flew into the fray, Cat included. She felt sorry for the young recruit, but the only mercy they could give now, was death.

She pulled out her crossbow, taking her time to ensure her shots were deadly, helping Cullen, Hawke, and Carver in taking down the abomination. She could see the others moving swiftly from shade to shade taking them down easily.

As the abomination fell, she moved forward, pulling Hawke backward as it exploded in a gust of flame. He gave her a nod, stowing his staff, and they both turned to Cullen.

He was on the ground, panting heavily, his head in his hand, and speaking… though Cat wasn't sure they were meant to hear. "I knew he was involved in something sinister… but this? How… how is it possible?"

Cat immediately turned to go to him, worried that it had somehow triggered memories. But before she could help him, he stood, and sheathed his sword. He glanced at her curiously, but Hawke stepped forward as well, and Cullen gave a nod in acknowledgement.

"Thank you for your help," Cullen said to Hawke.

"It looked like he was an abomination," Hawke replied, as they both looked over at the mess on the ground.

"Normally, we only worry that mages will fall prey to possession-" Cullen said, and Cat interrupted.

"I have heard of blood mages that could summon demons into unwilling hosts."

Both men turned to her and yelled, "What?!" simultaneously.

"Where did you hear this?" Hawke demanded just as Cullen said, "That's not possible!"

Cat looked at Cullen with a sad smile. "I'm afraid it is, and unless we do something there may be more. Aren't you missing other recruits?"

"Maker preserve us…" Cullen said, dazed at the new idea. "Yes, Keran is still missing."

"Cat, are you sure about this?" Hawke said, turning her to face him, and both missing the focused look from Cullen at the mention of her name. "I've never heard of anything like it before."

"Yes, I'm sure. But it takes several blood mages to tear down someone's defenses. This is bad, but… we should be able to find someone who has seen such a group of mages. We have contacts we can ask."

Cullen stepped forward, and Cat turned. "The templars are in your debt," he said gently. "I can't thank you enough for what you have done," he said and Cat smiled.

"It is no problem, Knight Captain."she replied.

He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck. "This may seem forward, but have we met? You seem very familiar, my lady."

Cat bit her lip so she wouldn't smile. "Perhaps we have, though we will have to speak of it another time," she replied, turning back to the group. She looked over at Isabela, giving a specific look as she spoke.

"Hawke?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"I have a few ideas on how to proceed with this, but I need to get to work. Can we meet up later? At the Hanged Man perhaps?"

"Uh… sure," he replied, confused.

"I'll walk with you," Isabela replied immediately, and Cat strode off towards the city. Isabela followed, turning back to give a Hawke a pointed look.

* * *

"You didn't have to come," Cat said once they were back in Kirkwall.

"And she speaks!" Isabela teased. "You did give me that look, you know."

"That look was __help me get away with this__ not __come with me__ … and you know it."

"True, but you're up to something, and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't tag along?"

"I figured you would understand. I need to do this my way."

"I see," Isabela didn't really appreciate her own words from this morning being thrown back at her, and could understand why Cat had reacted the way she had. It wasn't easy to not help her friend, especially when she was in the dark about what she wanted to do. "I'll leave you to it then, once we get there."

Cat sighed. "It's not that I don't want your help, it's just… personal."

"All right, don't worry," Isabela smirked. "I'm here if you need me Kitty."

"Thanks Issy," she said.

Isabela was true to her word, once they arrived at the Rose, she stopped at the door, asking Cat if she wanted her to stay and wait, and Cat refused. "I'll meet you at the Hanged Man, you can get started on the drinking," she offered, and Isabela laughed.

"How can I say no to that?" she joked, and turned away from the Rose. "Good luck Kitty," she added as she walked away.

Cat steeled herself, and walked in, determined to talk to Idunna first.

* * *

Isabela turned as soon as she noted that Cat had walked inside. She walked back to the door, waiting. __Hopefully Hawke got the message, but if not, then she'd be there for Kitty, even if she didn't want her to be.__

It didn't take long for Hawke to stride up, his face impassive. He walked to her, coming close and placing his hands on his hips. "You going to explain this to me?" he asked her.

"Just a hunch," she said. "Kitty went inside to speak to someone, which means she knows something that she isn't telling us."

Hawke eyed the door, and nodded. "She won't appreciate this," he commented.

"I'd rather have her alive and angry, than dead."

* * *

Cat had double checked the schedule, not wanting to barge in on anything… indecent. But where she had once been so determined, she now worried. She climbed the stairs, looking back, almost hoping to see Isabela, and made her way to Idunna's room, knocking softly on the door.

"Cat! What a surprise, come in, come in!" Idunna opened the door and greeted her with a smile.

Cat walked in, and they both sat on her bed, as they had done so many times before. Cat smiled, reminding herself that Idunna was her friend.

"So? What's going on?" Idunna asked, her eyes bright and full of mischief. Lately, Cat had only visited to share gossip, but not this time.

Cat inhaled deeply, and sighed on her exhale. "There has been some crazy things happening in the city," she began, looking down at her hands. "Involving the templar recruits and blood mages."

"What? Really?" Idunna said, the shock in her voice seemed genuine, giving Cat hope.

"Yes." Cat looked up, her face full of worry. "Please tell me you didn't have anything to do with Wilmod or Keran…"

"Wilmod... Wilmod…" Idunna looked up as she thought, and Cat's stomach dropped. "That doesn't sound familiar," she said dismissively.

Cat's eyes closed, and she felt tears forming. "No… Idunna, no…"

Idunna straightened, reaching forward to grab Cat's hand and giving it a squeeze. "Cat, please just leave. Don't get involved in this, pretend you never came here! Please!"

Cat's eyes snapped open in anger. "I'm already involved! How could you do this?! How could just hand over those boys to be possessed!"

"It wasn't like I was given a choice!" Idunna hissed. "It was help or be turned over to the templars! It was this or tranquility!"

"You have friends! You have me! I would have helped!" she lowered her voice, "We can still help." She reached forward, hugging Idunna. "Just no more, please. I was there… I saw that poor boy be taken over."

They sat for a moment, tears falling silently, before Idunna pulled back. Reaching up, she wiped the moisture from her face. "You told your friends about me?" she asked.

"No, of course not. I told them I would ask around and we'd meet later. You just give me the location, and we'll go take care of the mages that are doing this, and you'll be free."

"Cat…" emotion welling in her voice, Idunna asked, "will you do me a favor first?"

"Of course Idunna," she said as she looked at her with a smile.

"Thank you." She smiled back at Cat. "Do your friends know where you are right now?"

"Uh… well Isabela" Cat was startled as she realized that she couldn't stop herself from speaking. "she walked with me to the Rose, but… left… after… that." Cat's heart began racing as she realized what Idunna was doing, and she had no way to stop her.

Tears welled in her eyes, as she realized that her friend was so scared, that she was willing to do anything to keep her secret, even kill her.

"I'm so sorry Cat, but you won't be able to beat them… there are too many, and Tarohne is too strong." She avoided looking at Cat, not really wanting to watch.

"Now, pull out a dagger, and bring it to your throat," Idunna said.

Cat couldn't speak, and she couldn't disobey. She reached behind her, pulling out a dagger, and brought it up below her chin. The tears slowly kept falling however, and Cat just let them fall, so sad that they were brought to this.

* * *

It took some convincing, but Hawke was finally pointed to the right room. He stood in front of it, debating if he should knock, or just barge in. __If Cat was in trouble, then knocking could seal her fate. On the other hand, if she was simply talking with a friend, she might be royally pissed.__

He heard Isabela's voice in his mind, _ _I'd rather have her alive and angry, than dead,__ and his mind was made up. He reached for the knob, and opened the door as silently as he could. Before he could decide whether or not to rush in, he heard the voice.

"I don't want to do this! Why couldn't you have just stayed away?" He wasn't the sneakiest of people, but neither noticed him through the tears they were sobbing. "Don't look at me like that… I have to do this…"

Hawke could see Cat's back as he crept closer, she was sitting on the end of the bed. Another woman was in front of her, with her face in her hands. As he looked closer, his eyes widened as he took note of the dagger that Cat held to her own throat. __What in the Maker's name was she doing?__ he thought.

He was done waiting, and stepped forward to grab the dagger from her hand, throwing it to the floor with a clang. "What is going on?!" he demanded.

The other woman jumped up, backing up against the wall in a panic. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" she asked in a high pitched voice.

"I'm sure Cat can make introductions," he said, as he looked back at Cat, just in time to see her pull another dagger from a sheath and bring it to her neck. "Andraste's ass, Cat!" he bellowed, as he grabbed at her hand.

The woman behind him shifted, and his eyes moved to her. Something was off, but he could see her excitement, sadness and fear in equal measures, and he wasn't sure what her game was. He looked back at Cat, noting her eyes seemed cloudy, and not just from the tears. It took him a moment, but he realized there was some sort of magic here, and he focused his own mana in order to dispel it.

Once his spell was complete, he no longer had Cat resisting him, and his pull brought her arm with his into his chest, the second dagger clattering to the floor. He could sense the movement behind him, and turned to look as the other woman knelt on the floor.

"Mercy sir, please!" she begged.

"What did you do?" he asked her, his voice dark and quiet.

"Blood magic, and desire, in equal parts," she answered, as if the noose was already around her neck.

"Blood magic," Hawke spit out in disgust. He turned back to Cat, to ensure that she was all right, however she was just staring at the bed, looking morose, her hand limp in his grip, and he let her go.

"Tell me everything," he said, as he turned to stand next to Cat, facing the other woman, and crossed his arms over his chest.

As she spoke, Hawke kept an eye on Cat, noting with displeasure how she became more and more upset. When the woman finished by saying she should have killed Cat, but couldn't bring herself to do it, Cat burst into fresh tears and covered her face with her hands.

"It seems you have punished yourself far worse than I could," Hawke noted, as the woman began crying as well. "I would kill you for this, but I am certain Cat would stop me. Just go."

He watched as the woman picked herself up, and as she came close, reached out for Cat, then changed her mind and ran from the room. He bent over to collect the daggers on the floor, and set them on the table, uncertain what to do. He didn't have a great wealth of experience with crying women, but he wanted to help. __Bethany had always wanted to be held by our parents whenever she had been upset…__ Hawke thought.

He walked over to Cat, and picking her up, turned around and sat on the bed with her in his lap. He had an arm around her shoulders to support her, and brought his other hand up to her head, stroking down her hair in a calming fashion.

"Go ahead," he said softly. "Get it all out."

Cat had thought she was almost done, but the sudden kindness of the gesture brought a fresh wave of tears, and she buried her face into his chest and let loose all the pain and frustration that she had been piling up. She didn't know how long she sat there, with him stroking her head, but after awhile, her tears slowed. Her throat felt raw as she tried to swallow so that she could speak.

She lifted her head from him, his hand stopping at the back of her neck as she sat up. Her cheeks heated as she thought of how she had cried all over him, and was glad that no one else had been witness to it. She looked up as she felt his thumb brush her cheek, wiping away her tears, seeing him gazing down at her, though his eyes were not on hers, but rather watching his hand.

As much as she was embarrassed, she also felt a warmth that she hadn't felt in a long time. A safety, that being held could bring and that she had not had in years. It was such that she didn't want to move, and wanted to just revel in the feeling. She continued to gaze up at Hawke, feeling his thumb as it moved back and forth across her cheek.

The moisture was gone, but he just enjoyed the feel of her skin, touching the light dusting of freckles under her eye. His eyes roamed her face, noting that up close he could see the slight imperfections of her features, but deciding that it just added to the beauty.

He watched as her last tear moved slowly down her cheek, on the opposite side as his hand, and without thinking, he leaned down and kissed the tear away.

Cat inhaled sharply, feeling his lips catch the tear before it could fall completely. She could feel her heartbeat quicken, as he raised his head to look at her.

Hawke could feel her fingers clenching at his tunic, and he noted how wide her eyes were, her pupils dilating. His gaze was drawn down, as her tongue came out to wet her lips, and he continued to stare, clamping down on his desire to claim them.

Cat felt as if her heart was about to beat out of her chest, her body responding to the dark look in his eyes, and her head swimming as he leaned down again towards her.

Suddenly the image of Hawke and Isabela today flashed into her mind, and she jumped, as if cold water had just been thrown at her, her hand now pushing Hawke away instead of pulling him closer.

She placed both hands on his chest to keep him away, and said quickly, "We should go."

Hawke released her, though he didn't move from his seat, getting control of himself as she stood and gathered her daggers from the table. He was all calm, and she was nervous energy, and he knew she must have felt what he did, but he had seen fear along with desire, and didn't want to force it, so he slowly stood.

"Let's go meet the others then," he said, and followed her out of the room and down the stairs.

Cat's eyes were constantly moving, searching everywhere for Idunna. She hadn't meant to let her leave like that, and was worried of what would become of her. Before she could leave however, Madame Lusine approached her.

"Cat dear, there you are!" she said in greeting. "I had wanted to talk to you myself, but it seems as if Idunna already told you."

Cat looked at her in confusion, and Lusine continued. "You know I love having you here, but I need to have people that I can rely on to be here every night," she said quietly. "I appreciate all you have done, but now that the others are ready, there is no need to have you coming in randomly. Although I have to have two people to take the work that you would do yourself!" She smiled, and Cat supposed she should take the compliment. After all, Idunna had warned her this was coming.

"I understand Madame, and I appreciate all that you have done for me," Cat said quietly.

"You know you are welcome back anytime," she said to Cat, patting her arm. "And I will want to add to your order for potions next time you come in," she added.

"All right," Cat replied, wearily. "I will make sure to see you when I come back."

"Take care dear," Madame said, and turned back to her customers.

Cat continued out the door, noticing that Hawke was still following her, and was no longer calm. She rubbed her forehead, not wanting to delve into all of this right now.

"So, now you've lost your job because you've been helping me?" he asked gruffly.

"No," she replied. "I decided to do something else, and I trained others to do my job so that I could leave."

"Hmph." Cat could tell he wasn't finished, but she just quickened her pace. She had all sorts of emotions running through her at the moment, and needed to sort them out… away from Hawke.

They didn't speak for a while, but just as they entered Lowtown, Hawke rudely said, "Don't you think you've been keeping enough secrets?"

Cat was flabbergasted, and whirled around to face him. "Excuse me?!"

Hawke glared at her and pointed directly at her face. "You know exactly what I am talking about, don't play dumb."

" _ _You__ don't know what you're talking about," she countered, and she turned back to keep walking, but was stopped by his hand grabbing her arm.

"Oh I know…" he said angrily. "Not just all the secrets aboutyour time in Ferelden, but I got the feeling you __knew__ that witch up on Sundermount. You just __happen__ to have some of the finest armor I've ever seen, and it fits you like it was made for you. Then today, you knew exactly where to go to find the information we needed about a group of blood mages."

Cat stood her ground, but inside she was sinking. __He is far more perceptive than I gave him credit for,__ she thought, __and this was trouble__.

"I never agreed to share about myself with you," Cat answered haughtily. "If you don't like having me around, I can always go get my job back," she said, wresting her arm from him and striding back the way they had come.

"Like hell you will," Hawke said as he grabbed her again, whirling her back around. "You're a part of my crew now," he said possessively.

"Let me go," Cat said coldly, and he loosened his hands.

"Everyone is allowed to have secrets," he said, looking down at her, enjoying the stubborn tilt of her jaw. "But not when they affect everyone else." He stepped aside and started walking toward their destination without her. "If you want me to trust you, you'll remember that," he said over his shoulder.


	39. Chapter 39- Enemies among usstill

Once she reached the Hanged Man, Cat avoided the group's table and found a small one on the other side of the room. She had thought she had a handle on everything, but now there was a large wrench thrown in the works, and his name was Garrett Hawke.

She sat and ordered a meal, brooding over the events of the past few hours, wondering if she should have done something differently.

"That's quite the scowl Kitten," Varric noted as he sat down next to her. She looked up and around, wondering if she had somehow sat at their normal table by accident, but no, Varric had simply come to join her at the table she had chosen.

"Yeah, well, I can't be happy all the time," she muttered, looking back down at the table.

"You know what would help? A story," he said with a half smile, "particularly __telling__ a story… maybe about something that happened in the past?"

"No thanks Varric, though I appreciate you getting creative in trying to worm out details from me," she responded.

"I do my best," he said, now with a full smile. "How about telling me why you're sitting over here?"

"Just needed to think," she replied. "Hard to do that around our group."

Norah brought her food and drink then, and Cat just stared at it, wondering why she had ordered anything at all. She wasn't hungry, and it looked… sketchy.

"You try and enjoy that," he said as he stood back up. "We'll be leaving once everyone gets here, so don't think too long, all right?" He patted her back as he turned back towards his normal table. "I gotta write a letter before we go, but I'm here if you need an ear."

"Thank you," she replied, picking up her fork, and forcing herself to take a bite. It tasted like cardboard, but she wasn't sure if that was because of the food, or her mood.

Her thoughts continued to run rampant in her mind, and she just tried to sift through them as best she could without emotion. Logically, she could see where Hawke was coming from, even though she couldn't understand him. __If he didn't trust her, why…? When he had leaned down…__ she shook her head, trying to clear it. She didn't need to dwell on those feelings again, she had already spent the entire walk from Hightown trying to figure them out with no success.

She heard a burst of laughter, and turned, seeing Isabela next to Hawke, both of them laughing loudly, making her smile. __If anything, I'm just glad to see Issy happy.__

She turned back to her meal, her smile growing as Varric's words ran through her head again, and an idea formed. __A letter…__ she thought. __Why didn't I think of that sooner?__

* * *

Isabela had her wiles, and she knew how to use them, but Cat was one tough nut to crack. She had seen her glance over when the group laughed at her joke, but there was no trace of jealousy. In fact, she had almost seemed pleased, which confused Isabela even more, but she supposed she should be used to it. After all, Cat never acted as Isabela expected, ever since they met.

"Are you going to tell me what happened in the Rose?" she asked Hawke quietly, once the others at the table were conversing with each other, and no longer listening.

"She was with another woman," he began, surprised when she didn't give some sort of comment to that, but continued on. "I almost didn't interrupt, but finally decided that you were right. Better angry than dead."

"And?"

"The woman was some sort of mage. She had Cat bewitched, and was trying to have her slit her own throat."

Isabela turned her head to glance at Cat again. "So she's dead then," she said, and Hawke sighed.

"I let her go," he said softly. "She wasn't actually able to make Cat do it, she just had her holding the dagger to her throat, and both of them were weeping. Once I realized what it was, I broke the spell, and had the woman talk. She was most definitely connected to our blood mages, and knew their entire operation. I gave Cat time to compose herself, and then we came here. Oh, and Cat lost her job on our way out," he added hastily.

"Tough day then," Isabela smirked, glad that she had gotten Hawke to follow them. __It could have been so much worse…__

"I'm assuming Cat heard about the blood mages summoning demons into others from that woman, but what I don't understand," his voice rose, as his frustration came out again, "is why she waited to say anything!" He took a deep breath, realizing others had looked his way. "That recruit is dead, because she held her tongue."

"Oh really?" Isabela asked with a dry look.

"What does that mean?" he glared back at her.

"So Kitty comes to you a few days ago, and says, _'_ _ _I heard about some blood mages that can__ __do creepy things, Hawke,"__ making her voice higher as she imitated Cat. "and what?" she asked. "You go hunting for them? You wouldn't even know where to look if that woman hadn't told you."

"Well yes, but-"

"But nothing. Kitty is a good friend to have Hawke, but she's not perfect, and she can't work miracles."

"She's keeping secrets," he growled lowly. "Secrets that affect the rest of us."

"Ah, so Hawke is just nosy."

"That's not- ugh! That is not what I'm saying."

"I get what you're saying, handsome," she said, as she ran her hand through his hair, ruffling it. "But dwelling on it won't help anything. Cat will open up when she is ready, and not before. Like a stubborn lock," she added. "Keep forcing it, and all you'll do is break your lock pick."

"That was right poetic Rivaini," Varric said without looking up from his writing.

"Also works for advice about sex," she replied and she laughed again, while Hawke shook his head and smiled at her.

* * *

Cat had never felt the same dread others did when they walked through Darktown, which was how she had almost gotten sold into slavery, she knew, but it hadn't changed anything. It was a place of danger, yes, but one she felt comfortable with. When walking with such a large group, no one dared to even stay in their path, skirting out of the way before they arrived.

Cat followed the others, as Hawke led them to an unassuming corner, and turned behind an old, rusted mining cart. There on the ground was an opening, with a ladder leading down into the dark.

Hawke wasted no time in climbing down, and Cat wished again that Fenris or Anders were here with her. They had plenty of fighters, with Aveline and Carver, Isabella and Varric, and Merrill and Hawke. But she was missing the two that would be keeping close to her, as they both had other things they needed to do, after this morning's activity.

 _ _A pity party, huh Cat?__ She asked herself, shaking her head and smiling ruefully at her own whining. She thought of Idunna, and refocused on the task at hand. __These mages were going down. It's too bad the guys aren't here for this, as they would actually agree with each other this time,__ she thought.

As everyone made it down the ladder, and looked around, Varric stepped forward to creep along, looking for traps.

"Are we certain we can do this without templar aid?" Carver asked quietly. "We have no idea how many there are."

"Shades!" Varric called as he backed up, and Carver and Aveline surged forward. Isabela immediately went into stealth, and Cat side stepped, bringing up her crossbow to aim at an abomination that was heading towards them from across the room.

"Rage Demon!" she heard Merrill yell, and after releasing a bolt, she looked over. She was still covered, so she loaded another bolt, and kept firing until the fight was over.

The group spread out across the room to cover everything as they walked forward. "There are corpses everywhere," Aveline commented. "Some are fresh, and others are just bones."

"They must have been trying on others to perfect the process," Hawke mused. " _ _Who knows__ how long they have been here?" he asked, looking sideways at Cat.

Cat didn't notice, or hear what was said, as she had seen a large patch of deathroot growing on the right side of the room. She went over, pulling out a dagger, and cutting it out of the ground, placing the root in a bag at her belt. __If Anders didn't need it, then she could sell it,__ she thought. Turning back, she saw the others looking at her. "What?" she asked.

Hawke just shook his head, and the group continued. Further on, the room ended in a small tunnel, opening again into another large room. Finding no traps, the group pushed on, and upon entering the room, Carver spoke. "This isn't a good sign."

They could all see what he meant, as there were skeletons everywhere, strewn throughout the room.

"Seems they got plenty of practice, Hawke," Varric said, and he continued forward, albeit more slowly. He could sense something, but was unsure of what it was.

They stopped and looked around as the skeletons began moving, and then standing, and then pulling the bows off their bodies. Hawke was quick to cast a barrier on himself and Merrill, and they used quick attacks they could fire rapidly to bring the number down.

Aveline made use of her shield, charging for a group and swinging her shield out in an arc to keep them from firing. Carver leaped up, bring his large hammer down on the ground, causing skeletons near him to topple over.

Isabela, Cat and Varric, were the most active, constantly moving to avoid being hit. Once it was over, there were arrows all around Hawke and Merrill on the ground from hitting the barrier, several in Aveline's shield, and everyone was out of breath- but they were all uninjured.

Moving forward, they found themselves again in a small tunnel, leading to a larger room that was filled with light. There were hanging braziers throughout the room, and the group made their way cautiously towards the front. There on their right was what looked like a person, suspended in mid air, covered with milky white wisps of smoke, as if suspended there.

Cat moved forward, but Isabela held her back with a shake of her head. They all looked over as a door on the left opened, and a woman wearing mage robes entered, followed by three other mages that were covered head to toe so that only their eyes were seen.

The woman seemed to enjoy matching, as her shoes, her robes, and even the color on her lips were the exact same shade of lavender, and Cat felt uneasy at the excitement on her face.

"How wonderful that you have come to us willingly! We are always in need of more vessels for our experiments!"

Hawke was not amused, and stepped forward. "Where is Keran?" he asked.

The woman acted as if he hadn't spoken, looking at each of them in turn. "Perhaps the demons will find __one__ of you suitable."

Carver looked uneasy. "She must be an abomination. I… think." She sneered at him as he spoke.

"I am not some helpless waif that ran crying to a demon- I sought them out, and embraced them!"

"Why did you take the recruits?" Hawke demanded, focusing her attention back to him.

"Demons can inhabit much more than mages, or corpses," she answered with a smile. "With assistance, they can control anyone I choose. Any templar… any noble… and any well-meaning meddler."

Hawke merely smirked at her. "We are no easy prey. You __do realize__ we cut a path through your abominations, right?"

"Good, good!" she answered, and Cat and Isabela looked at each other in confusion. "The demons will enjoy your spirit! When a few more templars fall prey, we will have sown chaos in their ranks. How long will the Knight Commander survive as they discover abominations among their own?" she laughed hysterically.

"And…she's officially lost it," Varric said dryly.

"It's good to know you're barking mad," Hawke said calmly. "Makes things easier for me, as I don't like to kill my fellow mages."

She scoffed at his words and spoke again. "With a wave of my hand I can achieve much more than any templar in their lifetime. Yet they command us? Absurd! We should be ruling them! WE will rule all, and if you will not join with us, either the demons will have you, or the compost heap will!" She turned to the mages behind her. "Kill the vessels only if you must!" and they all pulled out their staffs.

She immediately created a barrier, and the other mages called forth shades and abominations.

"Issy!" Cat called. "Distraction Attack!"

"Got it!" she called back and went into stealth.

"What?" Carver yelled, and Cat called back, "nothing! Just attack!"

Cat dodged the shades, leaving them for the others, as she approached Tarohne, who was still inside her barrier. "You almost succeeded," Cat said, as fire hit her armor from one of the mages, but with her drake skin armor, it went unnoticed. "but Idunna is no longer yours. She is free."

Tarohne's face darkened in anger, and she was so focused on Cat, that she failed to notice that the mages behind her fell one after the other. She finally dropped her barrier in order to attack Cat with a spell, and received Isabela's dagger in her back as a result.

Cat moved forward, and smiled at her. "Goodbye, Tarohne," she said, as she stabbed her own dagger in the mage's ribcage. Cat watched as the life left her eyes, but the body didn't fall, and she stepped back in shock. The mage's body changed, until Cat and Isabela were standing with a desire demon in between them.

"Why do you fight us?" the demon asked, and Cat understood how others fell prey to a demon's voice. It wasn't a pleasant sound… no, it seemed more to grip her very soul, and pull her towards its words, and it was focused on Isabela, not her. "Why fight at all, when I can give you all you desire?"

"Oh, really? Because I desire quite a bit," Isabela answered as she stowed her daggers away.

Considering Isabela easy prey, the demon turned back to Cat. "And you? We could be so much more together…" The demon looked at her, head tilting in question as Cat crouched into a fighting stance. "The home you seek… I would take you there," it cooed at Cat, and she could feel it's own excitement.

"I want nothing from you, and you'll not leave this room," Cat growled.

"You deny your desires, but I see them laid bare," it spoke softly as it came closer, and Cat was fighting with all she could to simply not heed its voice. "The elf? The mage? They need not ever leave your side with my help," it whispered, though she felt it as a shout inside her head.

"Wanting my friends with me now, does not mean I want them to be slaves to my every whim," Cat spoke angrily. "Issy! Help me kill this thing!" she called desperately.

"Kitty, can't I get some things first?" Isabela called back, but she rushed forward to help kill the demon. Merrill finished with her own fight, and came over to help finish it off.

"You really should find out what it wants before agreeing with it," she suggested to Isabela. "Otherwise you may end up not liking the bargain."

"Thank you Merrill," Cat groused, and turned to Isabela. "Never again, Issy. Swear to me. No deals with demons."

"But Cat-" Merrill started, and Cat just held up a hand. "Issy…" she said, and Isabela rolled her eyes.

"I'd like to promise Kitty, but since I didn't even remember making a deal, I don't want to make a promise that I could unknowingly break."

"Issy…" Cat glared at her friend.

"All right, I promise. No deals. But if I make one without knowing, you have to swear to forgive me," she added.

Cat shook her head in exasperation. "I suppose that's fair."

"Will you please tell me what that attack yell was?" Carver asked as he pushed forward to them.

"Attack yell?" Cat asked, then realizing what he meant, she laughed and explained. "We've been fighting together for awhile now, so we've come up with names for certain tactics we use. That way we know what our ally is doing, and our enemies don't."

"We use something similar in the guard," Aveline commented. "Very effective," she added, complimenting them.

"Thank you." Cat replied, heading over to where Hawke stood with Varric, looking at the man still suspended in air.

"Shouldn't the spell have broken when they died?" Cat asked.

"One would think," Hawke replied. "But since it didn't there may be more that are unaccounted for. Hopefully they'll slink back to the shadows or wherever they emerged from once they see their leader is dead."

He stepped back, and indicated everyone else should do the same. "I'm going to try to dispell this, so everyone be on guard," he said to them.

Normally Cat was eager to watch magic happening, but this time, as Hawke tried again and again, she found herself irritated that it was taking so long.

"The light!" A voice rang out, and everyone looked around, while Hawke took a moment to stretch and get his breath back.

"I… think it came from him," Merrill said, pointing to the man that was still midair. "I think you're wearing it down, Hawke. Do you want me to help?"

"No thank you Merrill," he replied. "I've got it, now that I know which counterspell to use."

Hawke raised his arms again, and true to his word, the spell was broken in minutes, and the man fell to the ground. Hawke went over to help him up, asking, "Keran?"

"Yes," he answered as he stood. The man, __well, boy, really…__ Cat thought, was wearing only pants, and rubbed his eyes before looking around.

"Thank the Maker," he said. "I thought he had abandoned me."

"But…" Varric said quietly. "Is it __only__ Keran? It could be Keran plus one. And a nasty plus one at that."

Carver spoke as well, looking very uneasy. "I never really understood how people could fear mages so, having grown up in our family with Father, you… Bethany." He hung his head. "But this… Andraste was right to warn against magic."

"Of course!" Hawke said, falsely jovial. "Maniacs with swords and lyrium, with "the Maker" on their side __never__ hurt innocents."

"It seems they may have a reason," Carver shot back, angry at Hawke's tone. "I just never looked at it from their side, and now… I see."

Hawke didn't answer, turning away from Carver and back to Keran. "What DO you remember, Keran?" he asked.

"I was… uh, with a lady," he said, and he blushed slightly, looking at the women in the group. "and things got fuzzy. I remember feeling on fire for days, a demon laughing, a naked woman with razor claws, deep in my chest." His hand rose, and he looked down, surprised that there were no marks on his skin. "I know what it sounds like," he said.

"Merrill?" Hawke asked. "Any insights? Can we tell if he IS possessed?" "

"I don't know…" she answered as she walked forward. She took Keran's hand and pulling out a dagger, punctured the pad of his finger with the tip. She took a drop of his blood on her finger dabbed it, rubbing it in between two fingers. She brought her fingers to her nose, smelling the blood, before tasting it, and Cat flinched.

"I would say he is not," she said, rubbing her hand on her armor. "The blood is clean, with no scent of demons in it." She walked back behind Hawke as she spoke.

"What… uh, what happens now?" Keran asked, looking oddly at Merrill.

"Well, it looks like you can go home, or back to the gallows. Your sister is quite worried about you," Hawke said with a slight smile.

Cat grinned as Isabela rolled her eyes. _"_ _ _Such a goody-goody,"__ Isabela whispered, which had Cat laughing, and trying to hide it, which of course, came out in a snort, causing everyone else to look at her.

"Uh, yeah!" Cat said, uncertain was had been said, and hoping she was agreeing with something that she actually agreed with.

"Right…" Hawke said, and turned back to Keran.

"Please… don't tell the templars," he said as he took his leave.

"We definitely need to tell the templars," Carver said as soon as Keran was out of the room.

"It would completely ruin that boy's life," Hawke debated. "The templars won't care that he resisted, or believe that he isn't possessed."

"But it would garner their favor for us," Carver offered as they began to walk away.

Cat wasn't listening, as she berated Isabela for making her laugh, though they then spent most of the trip back to the gallows impersonating the crazy mage/ abomination, and laughing at each others' take on her.

As they entered the gallows for the second time that day,Hawke strode over to where Keran and his sister were speaking to each other. She saw Hawke approaching, and turned to greet him with a grin. "Thank you serah! You saved my brother!" she said, as she moved in to give Hawke an impromptu hug.

Hawke chuckled, surprised at the sudden hug, and patted her back awkwardly. "It was no trouble miss," he answered, and Keran reached forward to pull his sister back.

Hawke looked back at his crew. "Perhaps I'll let you go first from now on brother, so you can reap the rewards," he teased, and Macha smiled timidly, while Carver looked annoyed at his older brother's antics.

"What is Cat doing?" Hawke asked Isabela, as he noticed that Cat was talking to a red haired templar knight.

"Delivering a letter," she answered. "For Anders' new assistant."

Hawke nodded, as was about to turn back to Keran and Macha, as he noticed another templar going over to intercept Cat as she made her way back. He stopped, and looked closer, seeing that it was the Knight Captain, and decided to wait for them to come to him.

Cat stopped as she heard "Hello again, my lady."

Looking up, she saw Cullen approach her, and she smiled. "Hello Knight Captain."

"Please, call me Cullen," he offered.

"Very well, but if I do, then none of this "Lady" business for me. It's Catarina, though my friends usually call me Cat."

He had her continue walking, putting his arm out in a ladies first gesture, and following along beside her, his hands behind his back.

"It is a pleasure to formally meet you, Lady Catarina," he said with a small nod.

"Ah-ah-ah!" she retorted. "Not a lady," she reminded him with a smile.

He returned her smile ruefully. "I mean no disrespect, but I do not want to seem overly familiar," he said.

"So you came from Ferelden, right?" she asked, changing the subject. They were walking very slowly, and but were approaching Hawke and the others.

"Yes, I was transferred from the circle there. Not many are aware of just how close the circle came to falling to abominations during the blight, and there were many painful memories that I wished to escape from."

"I'm very sorry to have mentioned it then," she replied, placing a hand on his arm, and looking at him, trying to convey her sorrow for what he had been through.

"It is all right," he replied, and Cat pulled back. "There are many good memories as well.

"If not many knew of the circle's problems, then how are you so knowledgeable Cat?" Varric asked innocently, and Cat gave him a dirty look.

Cullen looked down at Varric and back up to Cat. "You… you know of it?" he asked quietly, and she nodded. He stepped closer, not noticing the tension among the rest of the group at his movement. "It was you, wasn't it my lady?" he asked in awe. "I thought perhaps you had been a dream, or even a vision, but some of the other templars had seen and spoken to you…"

He dropped to one knee in front of her, and her eyes went wide, frantically looking at her friends in desperation.

"Anything I can do, my lady, to repay your kindness, I would do- this I swear."

Cat reached down and pulled on his arm, as they were getting stares from every direction. _"_ _ _Please stand up!"__ she hissed under her breath, and he immediately stood back up. "A bit of kindness needs no payment, only to be passed on to another," she replied, much more comfortable now that he was standing again. "And don't call me lady," she added.

"You are too good to be real, Lady Cat," he said with a small smirk. He grabbed her hand, bringing it o his mouth, and kissing her knuckles. She immediately turned red, embarrassed, because not only did it make her __want__ to swoon, but _ _everyone__ was watching. It could only be worse if Fenris or Anders were here.

Hawke chose that moment to step beside her, and blurt out, "Blood mages have infiltrated your ranks and are possessing your recruits with demons!"

Cullen, in shock, dropped Cat's hand and stepped back. "Sweet blood of Andraste..." he murmured.

Macha, looking scared, stepped further away from her brother. "D…demons? Recruits and demons, you said?" she asked fearfully.

Keran dropped his gaze to the ground, his shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry Macha, I didn't want to scare you, but I am fine, I was saved in time." Macha looked relieved, and practically fell into her brother's arms. Keran comforted his sister, and looked at the rest of them in anger. "Those mages see us all as ants to be crushed. They won't stop until they see the Chantry and the templars destroyed forever."

Hawke, never one to let mages be abused, even in speech, defended. "And the fact that mages have been systematically abused by the templars for over a thousand years?" he asked.

"How can you say that?" Cullen asked, truly surprised. "Especially after what you have seen?"

Carver stepped forward, his voice trying to convey his point to his brother. "Yes, how can you say that the to __templar__ right in front of you?"

"Mages are not like you and me," Cullen continued, "they cannot be treated as ordinary people, because they are not people. They are weapons."

Cat glared back at him, __Get off your soapbox, Cullen,__ she thought.

"Mages are people," Hawke tried again, beseeching them all with his words. "They are humans, and elves… just like the rest of us," he said.

Cullen looked at him sadly. "Many go their entire lives believing that. But if even one in ten falls to the lure of blood magic, they could destroy this world." He turned to his recruit, sighing, "Keran, you are stripped of your commission until it is proven you are free of demons."

"But ser!" Keran said, dismay on his features. "I need this position to support my family! And how could I possibly prove…" he and Macha looked at each other, disparaging.

"Keran is NOT possessed." Hawke stated, matter of factly.

"I hesitate to ask how you are so certain," Cullen responded, looking at Hawke in a new light.

Cat took that moment to interrupt. "Is this how the templars treat their own? If a mage had simply wounded him, would you not care for him and his family? You certainly wouldn't give up on him as you are now."

Cullen looked at her, pausing as he thought on her words. "You speak truth, Lady Cat, and it seems your compassion for templars knows no bounds, however, I cannot put all others at risk for one."

"There must be some way of minimizing the risk without throwing him out on the street to starve," she rebutted.

"Perhaps… you are right. It makes more sense to keep him close, that we may watch over him." He turned back to his recruit. "Very well Keran, if you have shown no signs of possession, in ten years time you will be eligible for a full knighthood."

Macha started crying, and Keran tried to soothe her, looking glum. "Thank you serah, all of you. I wish I could reward you as you deserve," he said to Hawke.

"I will handle that," Cullen said, handing over several coins to Hawke. "You have done the Order a great service by ridding us of these blood mages. We will not forget it."

Hawke, still unhappy by how things played out, nodded once and turned to stalk away. Everyone else turned also, and Cat looked disappointed as she too, turned to leave.

"Lady Cat, if I may?" Cullen asked, stopping her.

"Yes, Ser Cullen?" she answered.

"I would like to… uh," his hand crept up to run the back of his neck, "speak to you more, about your time in Ferelden? That is, if you would like to…"

"Uh…" Cat blanked, unsure of how to respond.

"Cat! We're leaving! NOW!" came the yell from Hawke, and Cat gave Cullen an embarrassed smile.

"I have to go, but, perhaps another time?" she asked, and turned before he could answer, hustling over to her friends who were waiting, most of whom were smirking at her. "Goodbye!" she said turning back quickly, and then catching up with Isabela.

"Not one word," Cat told her, as she opened her mouth, and she merely smiled back.


	40. Chapter 40- Avoidance

"Issy?"

Isabela glanced over, giving Cat a questioning look as she continued to get ready to leave.

"You're going with Hawke today, right?"

"Does that mean you're not, Kitty?" Isabela asked her.

"I need to deliver the shipment to the Rose, so I thought I'd go see how soon Anders will be done with it. Plus, since Anders will be going on the expedition, I need to make sure Olivia will be able to handle it, otherwise I might need to learn how to make some of them myself."

"You're still set on not going on the expedition?" Isabela asked her.

"Yep, not going," Cat replied as she busied herself getting a pack together to leave for the day. She decided just her daggers today would suffice since she wasn't going with Hawke. She had already chosen her regular clothes as well. "What about you? Have you decided?"

"No, not yet. Obviously you not going is a factor, but it might also be nice to get out of Kirkwall for a bit, and Hawke always finds good fights."

"That is true," Cat chuckled. "So will you give my apologies to the group?"

"Kitty, everyone understands when we have other things to do, don't worry. It's all right to have a life besides Hawke."

"I know that Issy, but if they were counting on my being there…"

"I'll tell 'em," she replied, giving Cat's back a pat as she stepped toward the door. "Meeting for dinner?" she asked.

"I'll try," Cat answered, following her out the door, her pack on her back. They walked a short way together before parting.

"Take care of yourself," Cat told her, and she smirked back.

"You too Kitty, and if you end up doing something __fun__ today, I want all the details!" Isabela called as she walked off.

Cat shook her head, smiling at her friend's back, and then turned and headed towards Darktown.

* * *

"Cat!" Olivia said with a grin as she opened the clinic door. "Come in, come in!" she said, as she pulled Cat inside and shut the door behind her. "You must have a sixth sense about this, we've just about finished the order for this week."

"That's exactly what I was coming to check on," Cat said as she smiled. "And of course, both of you."

"That's kind of you," Anders spoke up as they made their way over to him. "I figured I would have to go to the Hanged Man this evening to find you."

"I suppose that would normally be true, but I really wanted a day off from that today, and I had some other things I needed to do," she replied, a little guiltily.

"Good," Anders said. "It's important to take time for yourself, as I keep telling Hawke. It's important for your health, and state of mind."

"So healer's orders then? That makes me feel better."

"Anytime you want to come spend time with us, we'll definitely say it was healer's orders to take time off," he answered with a chuckle. "Especially after that last mess."

Cat winced, "You heard about that?"

"Of course! I may not be going out with the group as much, but I still hear about the jobs."

"Is it true, that a blood mage almost had you slitting your own throat?" Olivia asked, and Cat felt a pang of sorrow at the thought.

"Uh, yeah" she answered. "though she wasn't a blood mage, she was a friend that was threatened to be handed over to the templars for tranquility if she didn't help the blood mages."

"Oh! That's horrible!" Olivia said, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. "I'm so sorry!"

"Thank you," Cat said, and smiled. "She was able to get away, and we stopped the blood mages, so everything worked out."

"Blood mages," Anders growled. "They give us all a bad name, and really, they're the reason the rest of us are hunted and caged." He looked up at Olivia as he spoke. "Just imagine how our lives would be different if there was no mages succumbing to demons and blood magic, we could live as other men!" He glanced over at Cat. "Right?"

"Uh…" Cat didn't want to dim the look in his eye, but she couldn't agree either.

Anders noticed the stall, and questioned it. "No Cat, tell me what you're thinking."

"Honestly? I think blood magic is just the reason they use, and if not that, they would find something else."

"Really?" He asked, surprised.

"Yes, I don't think blood magic is wrong, it is just a type of magic," she said, and both of the mages looked at her in shock. "Yes, I know what others say, but it's because so many who are seeking power over others use blood magic, it has become synonymous with evil. But it is the people who are evil or not, not the tool they use."

"Cat, how can you say that?" Anders asked incredulously. "Blood magic is wrong!"

"I know that that is how you feel, and that's okay," Cat replied. "Look at it this way, if every mage that used hexes only did so for evil purposes, after a hundred years, everyone would start believing that hexes were evil. The same is true for blood magic. But just because a mage uses blood magic, does not automatically mean they are dealing with demons or that they are trying to take over the world."

"I…" Anders looked around, trying to refute her statement. "logically, I can't argue, but I still think it is wrong."

"And as friends, we can respect each others' view without agreeing," Cat replied. "We don't have to agree on everything."

"Thank you," he replied, deep in thought.

"So, all the blood mages are dead, though?" Olivia asked.

"Yes," Cat answered. "They were using their magic together to break down the resistance to demons of others, and assisting the demons in taking over unwilling hosts." Cat's face twisted in disgust. "There were a few templar recruits that were taken for that purpose."

"Oh yes, Anders told me about that," she said quietly. "It's so awful."

"Yes, it was," Cat answered.

Olivia looked between the two of them, seeing the unhappiness on their faces, and decided to change the subject.

"So how is Hawke? It seems that all of you can come and go as you need, but Hawke is always working, isn't he?"

"Uh, yeah," Cat replied, desperately looking for something to change the subject to. "Oh, I almost forgot! I found this deathroot, and wondered if you needed it, otherwise I could sell it." She pulled the root out of her pack for them.

Anders stepped closer, taking the root, and examining it. "Who harvested this?" he asked.

"Um… I did?" she said sheepishly.

"Okay, so we need to give you some basic lessons then," Anders said, and he walked over to place the root on a table. He gathered his own satchel and walked back. "Olivia, you can finish this, right?" he asked, and she nodded.

"All that's left is to separate and label this last batch," she said. "I've got this, you guys go get some sunshine."

Anders grabbed Cat's pack, handing it to her, and pulling her towards the door. "We won't be gone too long," he called back and Olivia gave a wave as they left.

"Was it really that bad?" Cat asked.

"No, some is still usable, but we could have gotten twice as much if you had cut it right," he answered. "The coast has the most variety, so we'll go there," he said.

Now that they were alone, Anders wondered how to broach the subject delicately, but couldn't seem to find the right way. "So…" he started.

"Yeah?" Cat asked, looking over.

"About Hawke," he said and watched her flinch. "Yeah, that."

"Ugh, it's totally apparent isn't it?"

"That there is something going on, yes. What it is…? No."

"He's upset with me," she said. "because he thinks I'm keeping secrets that would affect the group."

Anders thought a moment, not wanting to just blurt out what he was thinking. "Well… but… aren't you?" He asked.

"I suppose so," she answered. "But every one of us has secrets, so why does he feel he needs to know mine?"

"Is that what he said?" Anders asked.

"He said he didn't trust me, so what else am I supposed to think?" she asked, getting agitated.

"I am by no means an expert on Hawke, but I've noticed that he likes everything to be orderly, and in it's place."

"We've all noticed that," she replied dryly.

"But when it comes to you, Cat… you're a puzzle, and it's probably bothering him."

"What?"

"Not in a bad way," he said placating her. "More like… uh…. an itch that he can't scratch."

She looked crossly at him, "thank you very much," she groused.

"You understand what I am saying though," he said. "You're unlike anyone that any of us have ever met before, and act differently than we expect you to."

"Being different shouldn't be irritating!" she said, pouting.

"Hey, don't put words in my mouth," he replied, backpedaling.

"You literally said that I was bothering him," she pointed out.

Anders rolled his eyes. __Why was she being so difficult? "__ I __said…__ that the unknown aspect of you was bothering him, not you."

"What unknown? I'm just an ordinary girl."

"Right. An ordinary girl that somehow came to Thedas from another world through means unknown." He glanced over, seeing that she was gaping at him.

"I… I thought…" she whispered.

Now it was his turn to look sheepish. "Yes, well… I know you're not lying, and you are my friend, so I trust you. Even though it is impossible and crazy… there is an explanation, I just haven't figured it out yet."

"You __believe__ me?" she asked with a grin.

"Yes," he said. "Though, I am glad you haven't told anyone else. I'm wondering…" he stopped as he took in the guilty expression on her face. "All right, who else knows?" he asked instead.

"Uh… Isabela, though she's in denial about it. She said that sometimes I just know things."

"Not surprising, but still I wouldn't have thought she would go with that."

"And… uh… Fenris."

There was a pause of silence, before… " _WHAT?!_ "

Cat flinched, the sudden shout startling her.

"What were you thinking?! He could have killed you! In fact, I'm shocked he didn't try!"

"Well… he knew something was going on, and he confronted me about it," She gave him a look as she finished. "He took it really well actually, and believed me right from the start… and that's what made me decide to tell my other friend."

He looked down as he realized what she was saying. "Me."

"Yeah."

There was silence besides their footsteps for a time before he spoke again. "Anyone else?" he asked.

"That's it, besides my friends in Ferelden," she answered.

"And you're not going to tell Hawke?" he asked.

She thought a moment, "No."

"I'm not saying you should, but, why not?"

She was silent another moment before answering. "I'm… not sure I can trust him," she replied.

They continued to walk on, each lost in their thoughts, and made it out to the wounded coast. Anders led the way to a few spots where he always found some roots to harvest, and decided to ask, "What friends in Ferelden?"

Cat laughed, realizing that this was a perfect opportunity to speak of them, as Anders knew Duran at least, and they didn't have many opportunities to speak alone.

"Well you knew him as Warden Commander, but I knew him as Duran," she replied, and Anders looked at her in shock.

"I knew it! I knew I had heard your name from them before!"

"What, really?"

"Of course, the stories that Oghren would tell…"

"Oh no," Cat replied, remembering the dwarf and the way he would improvise details.

"But I assumed that it couldn't have been you, when I first met you…"

"Right, because you thought I was a raider?" she teased.

"Yes definitely, a raider," he replied, glad that she wasn't upset about their mistake.

They spent much longer at the coast than originally planned, as they shared any and all memories of their time with Duran, Cat sharing about the blight, and his companions, Anders sharing about joining the wardens, and the time in Amaranthine.

Cat spoke of deciding to write a letter, and sending it to him in Amaranthine, and Anders suggested perhaps that Soldier's Peak may be the wiser choice as the wardens had planned on relocating there. He also suggested Varric could get the letter sent, and even offered to take it to Varric as a letter from him, but Cat was still uncertain, and told him she would let him know.

It was well past dinner as they finally made it back to the clinic, and Olivia had the order ready so Cat packed it up, and headed to Hightown to deliver it.

By the time she completed delivering all the tonics, collecting payment and new orders for the following week, Cat was ready to crash. It had been an emotional day for her, and she felt freer than she had in a long time, finally being able to speak of the people she had been holding so closely for so long.

It had been fun to speak with Anders about them, even those that he hadn't known, and had brought back memories that she had been bottling up. Now, she was feeling… homesick if that was possible, missing her family from Ferelden. She hoped that by writing Duran, he would be able to pass where she was on to the others, and that maybe, she'd hear from them eventually.

She finally made it home, and seeing that she was alone, she pulled off her clothes and fell into bed, falling quickly asleep.

* * *

The following morning, Cat and Isabela went out to the market for breakfast, buying scones with fruit, and enjoying them in the shade of a tree. Cat asked about the group's pursuits the following day, and told Isabela of her time spent with Anders in harvesting plants needed for the tonics.

She also told of her delivery to the Rose, and that no one had seen or heard anything from Idunna, to which Isabela gave her a comforting pat on the arm, saying she would turn up at some point, and at this stage, no news was good news.

Cat had to agree, but didn't like it. She asked Isabela about the jobs for that day, but she wasn't sure what was on Hawke's schedule. Cat asked her to make excuses for her again, as she had some things she wanted to do that day.

"Oh really?" Isabela asked. "Your job is completed for the week, you've spent time with friends… what else is there?" she asked, curiously.

"I thought I would go and see the Knight Captain," Cat replied. "He would be a good friend to have in this city, plus I need him to get used to seeing me, so we don't have a repeat of the other day."

"Ah, now I understand," Isabela said.

"What exactly?" Cat asked.

"I haven't been able to figure out your type Kitty, but now it makes sense why Fenris and Anders haven't struck your fancy. You must prefer the boys in armor," she said with a smirk.

"That is so not true," Cat protested.

"Oh? Then enlighten me. What is your type then?"

Cat looked around, realizing that there was plenty of time before either of them had to be anywhere. It couldn't hurt to have some girl time. "All right then, girl talk?" she asked, and Isabela grinned.

"I thought you'd never ask!"

"But no sharing!" Cat warned.

"Of course not!"

"My type?" she asked, thinking. "I tend to go more for the rugged type than the clean cut," she offered, "definitely needs to be confident, but not arrogant." She looked questioningly at Isabela. "Do you even have a type?" she asked curiously.

"Well of course Kitty," she replied. "I'm just not as picky as you are."

"I'm not picky… I'm…. selective."

Isabela laughed loudly. "Right… selective. That's why you haven't found a single man since I've known you, and there has been plenty of opportunity!"

"Well, yes… but…"

"But?" she asked, smirking.

"I was tempted for a moment with Zev, I will admit that. But I wasn't going to do anything in a tent," she admitted. "And then the moment passed."

"Oh ho!" Isabela crowed. "I knew it!"

They spent the next hour talking about the pros and cons of the men in Kirkwall, though it seemed that Isabela pointed out their pros and Cat would then point out cons.

"I just don't understand why you're not trying to get with Fenris," Isabela said, once they had calmed down again.

"Why would I?" she asked. "He's my friend."

"He's attentive, he's __rugged__ ," she began. "he's _confident,_ and he understands you in a way that no one else here has."

"I just… I don't think of him like that," Cat replied.

"Some of the best relationships start as friends," Isabela said. "All I'm saying is… maybe you have to take a risk somewhere. If not with him, then with someone else, but at some point, you'll have to try something."

"I guess so," Cat mumbled, confusion evident in her voice.

"You know I just want you to be happy," Isabela said, and Cat nodded, and then changed the subject.

"Speaking of… what's going on with you and Hawke?" Cat asked, wiggling her eyebrows, and Isabela laughed.

"Nothing yet, but I keep trying," she said smirking.

* * *

Cat walked slowly into the gallows, looking around. __It would have been too easy to simply find Cullen standing around somewhere__ , she thought. She walked up to a templar that was alone, looking like he was on duty.

"Excuse me ser, I'm looking for Captain Cullen?" she asked.

"I'm sorry miss, but the Captain is busy," he replied.

"Oh, all right. Can you tell me when it would be good to come back to catch him?" she asked.

"The Captain is too busy to meet with civilians," he answered. "You can direct any complaints to the entrance guard."

"Oh, no, sorry… I don't have a complaint," she said. "The Captain asked to speak to me, and we never set up a time, so I thought…"

"Like I said, the Captain is busy," he replied and looked away from her.

Having been dismissed, Cat turned away, unsure of how to proceed. She looked around, hoping to see a familiar face, and decided to go peruse the shops and wait a little while.

After some time, Cat decided to head back home. She started walking towards the entrance gate, when she heard her name.

"Cat? Is that you?"

She turned to find Keran in front of her, so she smiled. "Hello again Keran. How are you faring?"

"It could be better," he answered with a smile. "I have a few knights that watch everything I do, but it could also be worse I suppose."

"That is true," she replied with a grin.

"Are you here alone?" he asked, looking around.

"Uh, yes, I was trying to catch the Knight Captain. He had asked that we speak sometime about my time in Ferelden- I think he was hoping to hear news of his homeland," she said, keeping her voice nonchalant. "But it seems he's busy."

"Busy?" Keran asked. "I'm fairly certain he will want to see you, rather than do paperwork," he replied.

"Oh, but the knight I spoke to over there," she started, then realized she may get him in trouble and stopped. Keran saw the direction she was looking and followed her gaze.

"Oh, Jenkins. Never listen to him, he thinks he should be higher up than he is, and takes it out on everyone else. Now, wait here, I'll go get the Captain," he said as he led her to a bench in the courtyard.

"Oh, okay. If, you're sure," she said, sitting down.

"Absolutely."

Cat sat, and watched the comings and goings of those in the courtyard, happily noticing that there seemed to be plenty of mages out and about, until she noticed that most of them were actually tranquil, which made her frown.

She had no doubt that there were some mages that couldn't handle their powers, or couldn't defend themselves against demons, but tranquility seemed such a harsh punishment. She couldn't imagine the thought of having no personality, no emotions, no dreams. She shuddered at the thought.

"Lady Cat?" she heard, and she turned toward the voice. "Are you all right?"

She smiled up at Cullen, taking his proffered hand and standing up. "Yes thank you," she replied. "I'm sorry to simply show up, but we hadn't had a chance to plan anything, so I had some time today, and thought I'd try to catch you free."

"A Captain is hardly ever free, but I can always make time for you," he said smoothly, and she smiled.

"I apologize for my abrupt departure before," she said, and he just shook his head.

"No need for apologies, my lady,"

"Now what did I tell you about calling me a lady?" she asked him, and he chuckled.

"I'm afraid it will be a tough habit to break," he said.

"Well, friends use each others' names," she said. "And I'm hoping we can be friends, Cullen."

He looked at her, and nodded. "I would like that," he said. "Would you care to go for a walk with me, my lady?" he offered his arm out to her.

"Only if you ask correctly," she replied, placing a hand on her hip and giving him a look.

He nodded with a smirk, and Cat grinned in reply. "I can see you are just as stubborn as I am," he answered. "Would you care to go for a walk with me, Cat?" he asked and she nodded.

"I'd love to," she answered, taking his arm.

"Excellent, my lady," he replied, holding her there with his other hand, and leading her out of the gallows, as they laughed.

* * *

Cat arrived back in Lowtown around midday, and decided to head to the Hanged Man for lunch. She was pleasantly surprised to find Isabela there alone, and suggested that they eat together, knowing she had spent any of her own coin on drinks.

"So what happened?" Cat asked her as they sat down at a table.

"Hawke decided to see that dwarf, the one who wanted us to kill the Qunari outlaws? Well we found him, but he was actually in the compound with the Qunari, so I told Hawke I had to go."

"He take that okay?"

"He didn't like it, but I made a joke out of it, so at least he'll get over it. I wasn't going to push my luck by parading myself in front of the Arishok."

"Smart," Cat replied. "So what's next on the grand schedule?"

"Nothing," Isabela replied. "Not until tonight anyway. Hawke wants to go after the gangs that are plaguing the streets. Apparently a group is paying good coin for taking them out, and Hawke just needs a little more to fund the expedition."

"Oh, okay," Cat said, as their food arrived, and they both dug in. "Either this is getting better, or my taste buds are dying," she said after the first bite.

"And that's why I drink," Isabela replied. "because then I don't care either way."

"Yeah, that's why you drink," Cat said dryly, and they laughed.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened with your templar?" Isabela asked. Cat grinned, and shook her head.

"Nothing happened," she replied.

" _ _Nothing__ never happens at the gallows," Isabela retorted.

"Who went to the gallows?" a voice asked, and they both turned to see Hawke, Varric, Carver and Fenris joining them at their table.

"Kitty did," Isabela said, and Cat rolled her eyes.

"Why?" Hawke asked Cat.

"Well I decided to turn myself in," Cat answered sarcastically. "Obviously to see someone."

"Who?" he asked, and Cat bristled.

"What does that matter?" she asked defensively.

"I'm curious, that's all," Hawke replied with a smirk.

"Keran," she replied quickly, looking down at her food.

"Oh."

"You spent several hours there talking to Keran?" Isabela asked, and Cat practically hissed at her.

"I ran into the Knight Captain too," Cat answered, nonchalantly, focusing on her food.

"And?" Hawke demanded.

"And what? We talked, we took a walk, no big deal," she answered.

"So you're becoming chummy with the templars?" he asked, and Cat sighed.

"Why? Are you now going to tell me who I can be friends with, and who I can't?" she asked. The group looked between the two of them, as they glared at each other, wondering what was happening, and why.

"No," Hawke answered sullenly.

"Good." Cat finished quickly, her appetite gone, and stood up, leaving money on the table for her and Isabela's meal. "See you all later," she said, leaving the tavern in a rush.

"What was that all about?" Varric asked, and Hawke just shrugged.

"Ask her, I have no idea."

Fenris stood then, "Very well," he said and followed Cat outside.

Carver looked at his brother in scrutiny. "What did you do?" he asked.

* * *

Cat waited for Fenris to catch up, once he called her name. She wasn't sure she was ready for the questions she was sure to get, but she was glad to see him. Isabela was right about one thing, Fenris did understand her better than the others, and she felt comfortable around him.

"Want to come over?" he asked as he reached her, and she nodded. They turned toward Hightown and began walking.

"You're not wearing your armor today," he commented.

"Yes, I figured I would be all right since I wasn't with Hawke," she replied.

He watched her, as her face scrunched up at the mention of his name. "What did he do?" he asked. "Should I beat some sense into him?"

Cat laughed, feeling much better with just the offer. "No need, but thank you," she replied. "He just let me know that he doesn't trust me, because he is aware I am keeping things from him. And I know it doesn't make sense, but it makes me not trust him either."

"And so you decided to avoid him?"

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, wincing.

"Maybe not to the others, but I could tell."

"I just thought I could work it out, if I could get some distance," she said. He nodded, and they continued to walk, even as she reached out and grabbed his arm.

"I haven't seen you much lately," she said. "I haven't been trying to avoid you."

He smiled a half smile at her, "I know," he said. "I've been keeping busy myself. Working on my letters, and reading the book you left me, over and over until I could do it without stumbling."

"That's great!" she replied excitedly. "You'll surpass me very soon like that!"

"We can't have that," he replied. "Then I will have to be the teacher, and you the student."

She laughed at his expression, __he truly would think that was awful__ , she thought. "I'll work harder," she promised. "In fact Varric gave me the idea the other day to write a letter to my friends in Ferelden. Since Duran is the leader of the Grey Wardens there, I should be able to send him one that would find him."

"That is sound logic," he replied, as they reached his mansion, and he opened the door for her. "Are you wanting to have open correspondence?" he asked.

"I think so," she answered. "Anders suggested that I ask Varric for assistance, and since Varric is well established here, I can have Duran respond, I suppose. It would be fantastic to hear from any of them."

"Then you should do it," he said. They climbed the stairs to his room, and he set about stoking the embers into a fire to warm the room, while she looked around. She had been here many times, but Fenris was constantly collecting new things, weapons, armor pieces, wine… she smiled as she thought of his simple tastes.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her.

"Earlier today, I spent time with Issy talking about men," she answered. "She pointed out that we get along really well, and I was just thinking that she was right. It was unexpected, to be sure, but you seem to read and understand me so well."

He shrugged, "I'm just observant," he replied. "and you're not one to hide your emotions."

"I suppose."

She walked over to stand in front of the growing fire, rubbing her hands together. It wasn't exactly cold outside, but the fire was welcome, but her closeness with Fenris had her thinking.

She replayed her conversation with Isabela in her head, feeling confused. It was true she was comfortable with Fenris, and they got along well, but that didn't necessarily mean they should be romantically involved.

"What's wrong?" he asked suddenly, and she turned, startled.

"Oh… uh… I don't know."

He simply looked at her, one eyebrow up in question, and she relented. "I guess… I'm just confused."

"About?"

"Myself," she answered. "I just don't know where I am going, or what I want, or… anything."

He smiled again at her. "I can understand that. I keep thinking, once Danarius is dead, what will I have? What will I do? Where will I go? There will be many decisions, and I am not certain of any of the answers, except one."

"One?" she asked, looking up at him. "Which one?"

"I know now, what it is to have friends, to have family. I would keep that in my life, no matter what else may happen," he answered firmly.

Cat smiled softly, impressed and surprised at how much he was growing, what an amazing man he was becoming.

"Fenris?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Will you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Will you…. kiss me?"


	41. Chapter 41- Friends

Previously- (HA! As if you could forget!)

"Fenris?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Will you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Will you…. kiss me?"

* * *

He wasn't sure if he heard her correctly, but by the way she was looking down at the floor, and biting her lower lip, he concluded that he had indeed heard her right. To say he was surprised was an understatement, but it wasn't as if he hadn't thought of it before, he had just assumed it wasn't what she wanted based on the way she treated him, and had moved on.

He stepped closer to her, lifting her chin with a finger, waiting until she was looking at him. "Are you sure that is what you want?" he asked. She still looked uncertain, but she nodded.

"I'm still not sure what I want, but it may help me figure some things out," she replied. He had to respect her honesty. She wasn't throwing herself at him like Isabela had, she wasn't flirting or complimenting him as others did. She simply asked that they try something, to see if there was more, and though he was slightly disappointed in her answer, he couldn't fault her for that.

He could always refuse. After all, he didn't really think of her that way any longer, she was his friend, his chosen sister, but if he was honest with himself, he would regret not trying.

He stepped closer, taking her hand and placing it up around his neck as he used his other to pull her closer by her waist. "All right then, we shall try," he whispered lowly, and bent his head to take her mouth with his.

He kept his mouth soft, exploring where normally he would demand and take, wanting to give her the time she needed. He heard her sigh, and felt as she surrendered to him, and was more surprised that he felt no need to press his advantage.

The longer it lasted, the more he felt for her, but as he brought the kiss to an end, and pulled back to look at her, he realized that his pulse was steady. He reached up to grab her wrist at his neck, checking her pulse as he brought her arm down, and finding it the same as his.

He brought her hand to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. "Did you find any answers?" he asked softly.

"I really wanted that to work…" she mumbled, and he smiled.

"It wasn't __un__ pleasant," he said with a smirk.

"No, it was very good," she replied. "But it wasn't what either of us were hoping it could be, was it?"

"No, it wasn't."

She brought her hand up to his face. "I love you, you know that, right?" she asked, and he nodded. "I just wish I was __in__ love with you. It would make everything easier. Maybe we just need more testing?" she asked with a smirk.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug. "You deserve far better than I."

"No such thing," she answered, before clearing her throat, and stepping back. "Things aren't going to be weird now, are they?"

"Only if you make them weird," he answered, going over to the table.

"You know I'm coming to you any time I need a kiss now, right?"

"Ah, yes, like that," he said, and they laughed. "Should we work on your letter, or my reading?" he asked, and had her grinning.

"You choose."

* * *

Over the next week, Cat continued to avoid Hawke and his schedule, not sure of how to continue working with him. It wasn't as if any specific thing had happened, but any time she thought of him, she became irritated.

Instead, Cat spent each day with a different member of the group, wanting to get to know them individually. She had been so surprised with both Fenris and Anders, that she felt it would be a disservice to the others if she didn't get to know them as well.

She went shopping with Fenris, buying books and supplies as they needed, to continue in their reading and writing practice. He helped her draft out her letter to Duran, until she had a copy that looked good enough to send.

The next day, she spent with Merrill, visiting the Viscount's garden, and collecting herbs to sell in the market, so that Merrill would have money for food. She brought Merrill to the clinic and introduced her to Olivia, hoping that they would bond as well, since they both needed more friends.

She even went to visit with Aveline, and ended up joining in some sparring fights, helping to teach some humility to her guards. They weren't used to sparring with someone who fought dirty, and she ended up fighting several fights too many, since every guard seemed to want to challenge her.

That evening, she waited until after dinner, and headed into the Hanged Man. Looking around, she didn't see anyone she knew in the common room, so she walked up the steps and knocked on Varric's door.

"Well hello there," Varric drawled as he opened the door and saw her. "Long time, no see."

"Sorry about that Varric," she replied with a guilty smile. "I had some things that I had been neglecting."

"Oh really?" he asked, gesturing for her to come in. "I didn't realize how short on herbs the city was, that you felt you needed to rectify the situation all by yourself."

Cat gave him a dirty look, "Anders needed some, Merrill needed food money, and taking care of Isabela isn't cheap either," she said quickly.

"Uh-huh." He replied dryly. "So I guess I'm next on the list of friends to spend time with?"

"Varric… it's not… I mean… ugh. Don't be like that."

"I don't mean to give you a hard time, Cat. But we all miss you, you know. And, no one knows why you've stopped coming around, though we can all guess who the culprit is."

"No… no. There's no culprit, it's just… some things I need to figure out."

"Can I help?" he asked with a smile, and Cat felt much better.

"You __are__ a great listener, Varric, I'm just afraid I'll read it later in one of your stories…"

"Ouch," he said "Can you go ahead and pull that dagger out of my back?" he asked with a pout.

She laughed, and reached over to pull an imaginary knife from his back. "I actually didn't plan on spending much time, since I wasn't sure if you'd even be here. But… I do have a couple of things for you, and I'd also like a favor."

"All right," he said curiously. "Which is first?"

"There once was a dwarf," she said, and the smirk he gave her just made her smile, knowing she was about to wipe it off. "Whose younger brother was so jealous, he killed their older brother, and framed him for the deed. His father was so upset, he banished the dwarf, never to return home."

"Could be any number of people…" Varric mused.

"So, in his travels throughout the land, he came upon people that were strong and cunning, and invited them to join him on his journey, which they did. Little did this dwarf know, there was also a contract out for his life, by none other, than the Antivan Crows," she added, smiling as she watched him trying to figure out the identity of the dwarf in her tale.

"At the same time, there was a Crow, who took the contract, and traveled to find the dwarf and reap the benefits of his death. He hired mercenaries, and scoured the land to find him, and having found a clue, took his group and set a trap."

"You have a flair for suspense," Varric praised, now leaning forward.

"The time had come. The trap was set, the dwarf and his companions were almost caught, and the mercenaries waited to spring it. What happened, however, was something that no one expected."

She paused, and Varric gave her a cross look. "If this is punishment for what I said before, I don't like it."

She grinned and continued. "The dwarf's group stopped, as a screaming woman ran directly into their path. The mercenaries looked on in shock, uncertain as to what had happened, then decided to simply charge forward and fight.

"The assassin, however, headed straight for the woman, cutting down his own mercenaries as they tried to kill her along with the dwarf, for you see… he had sworn to protect the woman from harm."

"Wait, what?" Varric asked, not seeing the twist coming.

"When all was done, the mercenaries were dead, the assassin was captured, and the dwarf questioned the woman, to no avail. He turned instead to the assassin, asking why he had tried to kill them, and why he had turned on his own men instead. The assassin answered, that he wanted to die, but because of his pride, couldn't simply take his own life. Instead, he had to find a fight he was certain to lose, but when the woman had shown up, he had no choice but to save her."

"This is a strange story," Varric commented.

"The assassin knowing they would kill him, asked that they take care of the woman, but instead, the dwarf invited them both to join him on his journey."

"Why?"

Cat ignored the question, as she was almost finished. "The dwarf explained that he needed the best fighters he could find, and that all needed to band together against their common foe. He held out his hands in welcome, if the assassin and the woman would accept it, and said, the grey wardens needed all the help they could get."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Varric said, holding up his hands. "Two questions. One- is this true, and two- if it is, why are you telling me?"

"Why? Really? After all this time of you asking for my story, you're asking me why?" she replied incredulously. "And yes, of course it's true."

"You've been very closed mouth about all this, kitten." He looked shrewdly at her. "You're going to ask me to keep it a secret, aren't you?"

"Well, yes. It's not something that I want out there, because the people are quite famous now, and-"

"Famous, now?" He interrupted. "Andraste's…. wait. The woman was you?"

She nodded.

"And the Grey Wardens…" she could see his mind putting the pieces together, and she smiled as she waited. "You travelled around with the Hero of Ferelden?" he asked, his jaw dropping.

"Well, can you blame me for keeping it quiet?" she asked, leaning her elbow on the table, and putting her chin in her hand. "I don't want to cause them any trouble, or have people stopping me all the time to ask questions."

"I suppose I can understand that…" he replied. "So why now?" he asked.

"I guess, I want to be friends. Better friends, anyway, and that can't happen if I close myself off. I can't promise to give you all my stories, but I can be more open. Now that you know who my friends were, you'll understand my stories when I share them, even though I won't be giving many details."

"I get it," he replied. "The one you just told was good, but once I knew it involved the wardens…" he stopped and smiled at her. "I knew you had something good to share. Of course this only makes me more curious."

"Of course. But, this also brings me to the favor."

"Wait, keeping this quiet was the favor."

"No, that's just the incentive. You blab, and no more stories."

"Cruel, but it does the job. What's the favor?" he asked.

"Now that the Blight is over, Duran and Alistair are the senior wardens in Ferelden. In fact, Anders confirmed that Duran is the Warden Commander, and that they have a base in Amaranthine, as well as Soldier's Peak in Ferelden. I was hoping, that you could help me get a letter to him."

"Is that all?" he asked with a grin. "You sure are easy to please, kitten."

"Is that my nickname then?" she asked. "You've used it a few times now."

"It's the temporary substitute," he replied. "I can't find the right one."

"You know, back home everyone called me Rina," she said, and his eyebrow winged up.

"You don't say…"

"Yeah, in fact, Duran was the one who started calling me Cat. But Zev, he didn't call me by my name at all."

"What did he call you?"

"Little dove, or my dove, most of the time. Sweetheart or something like it if he was upset with me."

"Knowing you, that must have pissed you off," he said, with a grin, and Cat sighed.

"You want to use it, don't you."

"Now that I know, I can't __not__ use it," he reasoned.

" _ _You__ are not allowed to call __me__ little," she said.

"Little dove…little dove….yeah, it's perfect."

"No one gets to know where it came from, though Issy will know already."

"Give me some credit," Varric said with a smirk. "She'll never know we had this talk." He held out his hand and she placed the letter in it.

"Thanks Varric," she said genuinely. "It's nice having you for a friend."

"Don't go soft on me," he said, but she could tell he didn't mean it, and she grinned. "Do me a favor, and go visit Blondie next, would you?" he asked.

"Anders? Why?"

"Let's just say, he needs a friend," he replied. "I'll get this taken care of, little dove, and let you know if there is a response."

"Just don't read it if there is," she warned as she stood up.

"You enjoy wounding me, don't you?" he asked, walking her to the door.

"It __is__ rather enjoyable," she said, as she gave him a hug. It put his face right in her breasts, but she didn't care. "Oh, I almost forgot," she said, releasing him, and digging for a pouch in her pocket, and handed it to him.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"I wanted to invest in your expedition," she answered, and turned and walked away with a wave. __Looks like I need to head to Darktown,__ she thought, as she headed out of the tavern.

* * *

"I don't know what's wrong, and he won't tell me," Olivia whispered to her as she let Cat into the clinic. "Maybe he'll talk to you," she said optimistically.

"Maybe," Cat mused, walking over to him. "Hi Anders," she said, and he looked up glumly.

"Oh, hey Cat," he replied, looking down again.

"You want to talk about it?" she asked, seeing that he was obviously not himself.

"Uh, no… not really," he replied, looking over at Olivia.

"Hey Olivia, will you be okay if I take Anders out for a little while?" she asked loudly, and Olivia answered immediately in the affirmative. Anders balked, but Cat pouted and he gave in rather easily.

"If you don't want to go anywhere, we can just find a place to talk, but something is obviously bothering you," Cat said once they left the clinic.

"Yeah, and maybe I do need to talk about it," he replied. "I'll walk you home," he said, and they started towards Lowtown. Cat remained quiet, until she finally stopped and gave him a questioning look.

"You don't have to talk about it with me, if it's personal," she said.

"It's not that," he replied, looking uncomfortable. "I'm just… disagreeing with Hawke about something, and I don't want to add to what you're feeling…"

"Oh, no problem then," she smiled. "I'm pretty much over it."

"Oh?" he asked.

"Yeah, in fact I just came from Varric's, and I gave him the letter to send to Duran. I had to share a little about Duran, and how I knew him, and I realized that you all are my friends, and I need to trust my friends."

"I'm glad to hear that," Anders said, smiling back at her. "Well, you probably are already aware, but we went out today, following directions from a letter that Hawke received about some mages that were in trouble. Most of us thought it was a trap, but we went anyway, in case it wasn't."

Cat pulled his arm, and they started walking again, and he continued. "It turned out a templar named Thrask is the one that brought us there, hoping that we could convince the mages that were hiding from the templars to surrender peacefully, or they'd be killed."

He sighed heavily, "I found out afterwards, that he was Olivia's father, which is why I didn't want to speak of it in front of her. I suppose he thought he was being generous by showing a bit of kindness, but it actually is worse. His own daughter, Cat! How could a father be so callous, to his own daughter?" He ran his hand through his hair, taking a deep breath to calm down.

"Once, I thought I would have children, I had big dreams once I had finally managed to escape the circle… but not anymore. Hawke has no idea how lucky he was…"

"You would be an amazing father!" Cat said happily at the thought. "You're a kind and patient man, and besides, you're getting plenty of practice now."

He looked at her, perplexed, before he understood, and smiled ruefully. "You mean with Olivia? You know, I didn't feel old before, but I do now, so thanks for that."

She laughed, and he chuckled, though he quickly became serious again. "We went into the cavern, Fenris and Carver, even Aveline trying to convince Hawke to just kill the mages. There were animated skeletons all over, so we knew at least one of them was using blood magic. We even came across a young apprentice who was running away from the group because of it."

"What happened?" she asked.

"When we found them, the mage, a man named Decimus, attacked us on sight. He refused to listen, summoning more and more things with his blood magic. Finally Hawke stood in front of him and said, 'If nothing short of killing you will stop this, then so be it.' and he killed him."

He seemed to not see where he was going as he spoke, so Cat steered them towards her home. "The other mages swore they had not done blood magic, and I agreed that we should help free them, and tried to convince Hawke of the same," he continued.

"It was simple, kill the templar, and they could run. Better one templar die, than so many innocent mages. If the templars saw evidence of blood magic, they would kill every last mage, just to be sure!"

He scowled then, "Then Hawke tells me, that if I have so little regard for life, I could kill him myself." He punched a fist into the open palm of his other hand.

"I was so angry! Hawke kills everyday, and had killed the mage leading them! And here he was, judging __me!__ As if the mages didn't __deserve__ freedom? Like they were meant to be caged again?!"

"And?" Cat asked quietly. "What happened?"

"On our way out we faced more corpses. Fenris and Carver wanted to return and kill the mages, because the others had to have lied to us. I denied it, saying that those were animated from our fight with Decimus. I could tell Hawke was torn, but I pushed harder, and he relented. We walked out of the cave, and I walked up to Thrask, but… I couldn't do it."

He sagged, the angry draining from him. "I couldn't kill him. I hesitated because of Hawke's words, and the other templars arrived. Varric gave some story about Hawke being an enchanter from Ferelden that assisted in hunting escaped mages or something. To be honest, I didn't pay much attention. I haven't been able to think of anything else since."

He looked at her then, and she smiled sadly. He nodded, "You can tell me what you're thinking," he offered.

"Well… all right. Hawke does kill, but not indiscriminately," she said. "He gives second chances, and has a deep sense of right and wrong. Perhaps he felt that killing a templar that was trying to help mages would have eventually weighted heavily on you, or perhaps he didn't want to, but didn't want to force your decision, who knows?"

"Regardless," she continued. "He is a good man, but he's not flawless. There are going to be times we all disagree, but talking it out is really the only way to solve it, and yes… I need to take my own advice… but it's different."

"Is it?" he asked as they arrived at her home. She opened the door, and waved him to follow her in. Isabela was never home this early, so they could continue their conversation.

"Yes, it is, but I just needed time to get a handle on everything." She held up the water jug, offering him a drink and he nodded, so she got cups to pour.

"What everything, Cat?" he asked. "I thought it was just an issue of trust, and by avoiding him, how is that fixing things?"

"It wasn't that," she replied. "I have a hard time understanding the subtleties from others, and often read things that weren't meant and so on. I talked to Isabela about it, and got even more confused, and somehow I ended up kissing Fenris, trying to figure out my own head… and I just realized that I was thinking things that didn't matter."

"You kissed Fenris?" he asked incredulously.

"Well yeah, I mean, I was thinking that perhaps I was so intent on being unhappy because of being away from home, and Steven, and that I just needed to not think, and try things, that that would help me make decisions, instead of thinking them to death," she rambled.

"Steven?" he mumbled. "Why didn't you come to me then?" he asked.

"Uh, for what?" she asked, and he gave her a deadpan look.

He stepped forward, grabbing her and pulling her close, and kissed her with everything he had pent up.

Cat could swear her head was swimming, and she jerked as he just as suddenly pulled away from her, and stared as if she had grown a second head.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Cat… that was … like kissing my sister."

"Anders, you have a sister?" she asked in shock, which made him stare at her... then he started laughing, loudly. "What's so funny?" she demanded.

"Of course I don't, well, not that I know of, anyway," he replied, still laughing. She pouted as he tried to calm himself. "Darling, you know I love you," he said, and she thought of her conversation days ago with Fenris. "I was really hoping that would have gone differently, after all, you're the perfect woman for me, well, aside the obvious."

"The obvious being no sexual attraction?"

"Ouch, though I guess I deserve that," he said wincing.

"You know what I mean," she said. "You're gorgeous and you know it," she replied flippantly. "But you're one of my best friends! Did you honestly think that kissing me was the best idea?" she asked.

"Honestly, no, but I don't want you to be closer to Fenris than to me," he said with a pout of his own.

"So I said I kissed him, and all of sudden you have to kiss me too?" she asked, wanting to slap him upside the head. "Men are so stupid!" she groused.

"You still love me, right?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, rolling her eyes. "But don't do that again."

"No promises," he replied with a grin. "Never know when I may need to dissuade a crazy suitor or something."

He reached over and gave her a hug, pulling her close. "I'm sorry, really. I'll make it up to you. We'll have plenty of time together once everyone else leaves for the Deep Roads."

She pulled back and stared at him. "What do you mean, everyone else?" she asked. "What happened?" she asked.

"Hawke told me I didn't have to go, since Isabela and Merrill both want to," he replied. "And yes, before you ask, I warned them about broodmothers, and everything. Everyone is confident they won't see many darkspawn though."

"How can they avoid them if you don't go?" she asked, worried now. "Anders, I'm really sorry, but if Hawke is your friend, you have to go."

"What? Why?" he whined. "I don't want to go down there again Cat. I hate the Deep Roads."

"I know, but if things play out like I remember, Carver will get sick."

"Sick?"

"And the only cure…"

"Maker's breath, you can't be serious…"

"I'm afraid so. I don't think we could convince him to stay, but if he goes, and you're not there…"

"Ugh."

Cat tried to comfort him, as he had paled and looked like he would be sick, but he finally stood to leave.

"I'll… think about it," he said. "Goodnight Cat."


	42. Chapter 42- You Gotta Have Friends

Cat swallowed hard, wondering if she was making a good decision, or if she was butting into something that was none of her business. But after speaking with Anders, she felt that she should at least __try__ to convince Carver to stay in Kirkwall during the expedition.

How she would go about that… well that was an entirely different problem. It wasn't like she and Carver were close, or even friends really. In the very beginning he had started acting strangely, and she avoided him ever since. He was a nice enough guy, but too hot headed and rash for her to want to deal with.

She continued to stare at the door in front of her, thinking that she should either knock or walk away, or someone would wonder what she was doing. They had all been through the neighborhood enough to have Hawke's uncle's house pointed out, so she was at least certain she was in the right place.

Remembering her words to Anders, she told herself that if she was Hawke's friend, she would try to save his brother too. Nodding resolutely, she knocked on the door.

The door opened, and a grumpy looking man stood there, eyeing her suspiciously. __Has to be Gamlen,__ she thought. "What is it?" he asked gruffly.

"Hello sir," she answered politely. "I am looking for Carver? Carver Hawke?" she asked.

The door shut in her face, and as she wondered what had happened, and if she should leave, it opened again, a older woman who was obviously Garrett and Carver's mother standing there now.

"Hello dear, how can I help you?" she asked kindly, her eyes twinkling.

"Hello, Lady Hawke, I'm actually looking for Carver."

"I'm so sorry, he isn't home right now," she said. "Would you like to come in and wait?" she asked Cat.

"Uh…" Cat faltered. __This hadn't been part of the plan!__ "I probably shouldn't," she replied. "It's getting rather late… unless he's expected soon?" she asked.

"Oh those boys," Leandra sighed. "Always out and about, trying to make money to support the family, and Maker knows when they'll be back because I don't," she said. "Perhaps I can pass on a message?" she asked.

"That would be great. I'm Cat," Cat said with a smile. "I'm usually in the group following Garrett around," she said, and Leandra's face lit up.

"Then I'm very pleased to meet you, Cat" she said with a smile. "I keep telling those boys to bring their friends home so I can meet them."

Cat kept her smile, but inside she was sinking. If Hawke had been asked to bring them to meet his mother, and he hadn't… he probably would be angry that she had come. "Well, it's our fault mostly," she said. "Always busy, busy! Uh, anyway, could you tell Carver that I came by to speak with him?" she asked. "I was hoping to convince him to stay here in Kirkwall while the others go on the expedition."

"Of course dear!" Leandra said excitedly, her smile growing wide. "It would be my pleasure. If anything could convince him, I'm sure you could! I'm so glad that Carver has met such a polite and pretty girl here in the city."

"Oh… oh, it's not like… that," Cat fumbled her words as she tried to correct the conclusion made, or least keep from insulting Carver to his own mother.

"My mistake," Leandra said, but she continued to grin, and Cat sighed.

"Thank you, and goodnight," she said, and with a small wave, turned to leave.

"Any time! Come back soon!" Leandra called before she stepped back inside and shut the door. Cat argued with herself as she walked, wishing that she had never gone.

Cat entered the Hanged Man, assuming that at least she'd find Isabela here. It was still early in Isabela's mind after all. Her smile returned, as she found Varric, Fenris, Isabela and Merrill sitting at a table, playing cards. She walked over, and flopped onto the bench next to Merrill.

"Kitty," Isabela said with a smirk. "What have you been up to?" she asked.

"Nothing good," Cat replied, an answer that was sure to make Isabela smile, which it did.

"Oh, I'm sorry you're having a bad day Cat," Merrill said, and she was met with either rolling eyes, or shaking heads by her companions.

"It's been okay, as far as days go," Cat replied. "But I said that to imply to Issy that I've been naughty," she explained.

"Oh!" Merrill said, embarrassed and yet intrigued. "So what did you do that was naughty?" she asked and Cat laughed.

"Nothing, sorry to disappoint."

"Oh, well…" she replied. "It's good to see you anyway."

"You too," Cat said. "I heard from Anders that you two were signed on to the expedition," she said, and Merrill nodded.

"He told us about the dangers, but Isabela was talking about wanting to get out of Kirkwall for a bit, and I agreed," Merrill said.

"Besides, Hawke will need all the eyes and ears he can get," Isabela added.

"I still feel like I owe Hawke for all his help," Merrill said. "So that was part of it too."

"Makes sense," Cat replied with a smile. "It won't be a picnic, but since the blight wasn't too long ago, there should be less darkspawn."

"Don't you have that backwards, Kitty?" Isabela asked, as she continued to play. "With the blight over, they all retreat back to the Deep Roads."

"True, but there are far less now, and they go back to searching for their next archdemon or whatever, digging new tunnels and such. Right at the beginning, there aren't many found in the established tunnels, though you may still run into some."

"You still not going then, Little Dove?" Varric asked, which had Isabela wide eyed and whipping her head to Cat, then to Varric, and back to Cat again.

"No, I'm not."

"Seems you aren't the only one," he replied, both of them ignoring Isabela's look. "Aveline is in the middle of taking over the guard, and asked to stay as well, and Hawke told Blondie he could stay to watch over you."

"I'll be sure to spend time with Aveline then," Cat said, with a smile. "I think I talked Anders into going, and I'm hoping to get Carver to stay as well, though I may need help with that."

"Junior? Why?" Varric asked.

"Just a bad feeling," she answered, noting that both Fenris and Isabela had looked to her when she said it. "In fact, I tried to speak to him before coming here, but he wasn't home."

"Hawke took him to deliver a few misplaced items that we found yesterday," Varric told her. "Last minute coin and such, since they gave pretty much everything to Bartrand to fund this thing."

"So everything is ready then?" Cat asked, surprised.

"Ready?" Fenris asked, giving her an odd look. He turned to Isabela in consternation, "You didn't tell her?" he asked.

"I haven't seen her until now," Isabela answered. She looked over at Cat and said, "We leave in the morning, Kitty."

"What?" Cat asked, shocked. "That soon?" she asked, looking around at the four of them. "But… but…" she stopped, as she didn't actually have anything to say. "When?" she asked sadly.

"Sun up," Varric answered, as Isabela won the hand, and they all threw their cards on the table. "Which means, we should probably get some sleep."

Fenris seemed ready to leave, as he stood and clasped a hand on Cat's shoulder, gave a nod to the others and left.

Isabela looked at Cat pleading, and Cat smiled. "Sure, one more," she replied to the unspoken question, and Isabela happily jumped up to go to the bar.

"Well ladies, good night," Varric said as he collected the cards and pocketed them.

"Goodnight," Cat and Merrill both replied, though neither stood. As Varric walked to his room, Merrill reached over and put her arm around Cat's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't know that you didn't know."

"It's all right," Cat said. "It just took me by surprise I suppose. I didn't even get to apologize to Hawke yet for avoiding him."

"You've been avoiding him?" Merrill asked.

"You didn't notice?" Cat asked with a smile. "That's good, maybe he didn't either then."

"Hmm," Merrill mused as she brought her arm back to herself, and put her chin in her hand, her elbow on the table. "I don't know, Hawke is pretty observant. I mean, he's always pointing out things that I miss."

"Hmph," Cat said with a frown. "Guess I'll have to talk to him in the morning then."

"What's that?" Merrill asked, looking at Cat's neck.

"My scar?" Cat asked, looking down.

"No silly, the jewelry? Around your neck?" she asked.

"Oh," Cat said, pulling the necklace out and showing off the charm, which depicted a sun with a carved smile. "Something I got back home," she offered it to Merrill, and she leaned forward as Merrill took the small sun in her fingers, turning it each way to see it from every angle.

"Is it metal?" Merrill asked. "It's beautiful," she said quietly. "And so happy."

"Yeah, that's why I got it," Cat said, as she leaned back once Merrill had let go. "My husband had forgotten my birthday, and I was feeling down. I decided that day that I could only depend on myself to be happy, and bought this to help me remember that."

"Oh, but that's a sad story," Merrill said, frowning. "And you can always count on your friends to help you be happy."

Cat smiled softly at her. "I wish that was true Merrill, but even friends can make each other unhappy sometimes."

"Well, but…"

"Hey, it's okay," Cat said quickly. "I don't need to depend on anyone, I can be happy all by myself," Cat said as she stood up. "I should get Issy home, or she'll oversleep tomorrow."

"Uh, okay Cat," Merrill answered, still frowning at her.

"Goodnight," Cat said, heading over to Isabela at the bar.

* * *

"Are you sure you won't just come with us?" Isabela asked as she and Cat headed into Hightown.

"I'm sure," Cat said. "I've got to continue my job while you're gone, and besides, I just don't want to."

Isabela rolled her eyes at that, no matter what argument she came up with, Cat had been adamant from the beginning that she wouldn't be going on the expedition. "Worth a try," she said.

"Hey, there's Anders!" Cat said, hurrying forward to greet the mage, and Isabela kept her same pace, coming up moments later.

"So, you gave in then?" Isabela asked with a smirk, interrupting whatever they had been saying.

"Gave in?" Anders asked.

"To Kitty," Isabela clarified, but he still looked confused.

"I told them that I asked you to go," Cat explained, and Anders gave Isabela a dry look.

"I didn't give in, I decided to do a favor for a friend," Anders said

"Same thing," Isabela smirked, and turned to leave.

"Like you wouldn't have!" Anders called after her, and Cat grabbed his arm, pulling him in the opposite direction.

"Don't let her get to you," Cat said. "You know she just likes it when you're all riled up."

"Why?!" Anders asked, already exasperated.

"She's testing your limits," Cat said patiently. "She wants to know what it would take to get Justice to come out, or so she says."

"Wha-?" Anders asked flabbergasted. "WHY?!"

Cat shrugged. "Why does Isabela do anything?" she asked. "Because she feels like it. Besides, she's in a mood today, because Varric started using a new nickname for me, and I won't talk about it."

Anders just rolled his eyes. "All right then, this will be a fun trip. I'd better go see what needs to be done," he said. "Don't leave without saying goodbye," he told her, and walked off.

Cat looked around, noting that everyone was here, though they were still a little disorganized. She spotted a pair of dwarves she recognized, and walked over to them with a smile.

"Hello Bodahn, Sandal," she said as she faced them. "Can I help with the loading?"

The elder dwarf turned and with wide eyes, and dropped jaw, came forward. "Miss Cat? Is that you?" he asked. "By my ancestors! I never would have thought we'd see you again!"

"What a surprise!" she replied happily, clapping his shoulder in greeting. "What are you doing here?"

"Well Sandal and me, we've been travelling around, selling our wares as always, ain't that right me boy?"

"Enchantment!" Sandal said happily, and Cat ruffled his hair.

"Heard about this expedition from a friend of a friend, we'll say, and knew a good opportunity when we saw one."

"Seems it was fated then, as my friends are part of the expedition as well," Cat said with a smile, and pointed several of them out. "They'll take good care of you and Sandal, and keep you both safe."

"Enchantment!"

"Right you are,"Bodahn said to Sandal. "It eases our minds to know we will have skilled people along," he said to Cat. "Does this mean you'll be accompanying us as well?"

"Unfortunately, no," she replied. "I've got a job here that I can't leave."

"Though I wouldn't call them easier times, I do miss traveling with the Warden," he said. "Do you ever feel that way?" he asked her.

"Yes," she replied. "But I'm glad that I wasn't a hindrance to their goal," she said. It had been a constant topic for them in the wagon, as the others had placed her there several times to keep her safe, and she had ended up sharing many conversations with Bodahn and Sandal.

"I'm sure this will be another grand adventure," she said, smiling again. "I hope to see you when you return."

"We will plan on it, Miss," Bodahn said with a grin. "Won't we Sandal?"

"Enchantment!"

Cat gave them both a wave, and they continued to pack up their supplies as she headed over to the main group. They looked a little more put together, and were all listening to Bartrand speaking.

"- fresh virgin thaig, ready for spoiling!" he said, and while several men cheered, others were laughing or shaking their heads.

"Now there's an image," Varric added dryly.

"Now then," Bartrand started again. "Wait. Who invited the old woman?" he asked snidely, and Cat immediately disliked him.

"I'm sorry ser dwarf, but I need to speak to my children," Leandra Hawke said, as she walked closer to Garrett and Carver.

Cat wasn't sure what the outcome would be,so she took the time to walk to her other friends and give her goodbyes.

She had just finished speaking to Merrill and Isabela, and giving them hugs when Hawke grabbed her roughly by the arm and carted her off away from the others.

"Ouch! Will you let go of me!" she hissed at him, and he released her, turning to face her, in his most intimidating pose- arms crossed over his chest, and looking down his nose at her. She noted that his beard was filling out nicely, and cursed herself, thinking now was not the time for that.

"Would you care to explain why my mother believes you are asking Carver to stay in Kirkwall so that he can __court__ you?" he asked icily.

"Uh… yeah, okay." She took a breath, and let it out. "I did go to your home yesterday, looking for Carver, and when he wasn't home, and your mother asked to give him a message, I said that I was trying to convince him not to go. The courting thing is all on her," she replied, putting her hands up in a surrender gesture.

"And why the sudden interest in what Carver does?" he asked, not giving her an inch. "You made it pretty clear you were done with us Hawkes."

"I just… I have a bad feeling about it, okay?" she said, looking away, and biting her lip. She wanted to comment on avoiding them, but couldn't think of the right thing to say.

"And that's why you asked Anders to come?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "I didn't think I'd actually convince Carver."

"Well in that you were right," he said, and walked off.

Cat looked up in surprise, and ran after him, pulling him back around with a tug on his arm. "What the hell? Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" she asked, then slapped her own forehead. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Oh? I'm getting the feeling that you did, in fact."

"Don't be a jerk," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm trying to apologize here."

"Worst. Apology. Ever."

Cat glared at him, "Maker's balls, you're such an ass."

"Yeah, that makes it better," he said sarcastically.

"Argh!" She yelled her frustration, and threw up her hands. This time, she was the one who walked away, over to where Varric was standing.

"Little Dove?" he asked tentatively. "You all right?"

"Yeah, wouldn't be a good day without Hawke pissing me off, would it?" she complained. "Promise me you'll never walk off when we're talking. okay?" she asked. "I really hate it."

"You got it," he said. "Uh, you take care now," he said with a pat on her arm.

"Varric, really?" she asked with a smirk. "You must know I want hugs."

"You do know where your hugs put my face, don't you?" he asked with a smirk in return.

"Don't care," she answered, and grabbed him.

"Best. Hugs. Ever." he said with a wink, once they stepped back, and she giggled, thinking he must have heard Hawke's complaint.

"Be safe, okay?" she asked, and headed to Fenris once he nodded.

"Don't hug the dwarf anymore," Fenris growled at her, as she walked up. "Did you even notice where his face was?"

Cat started laughing again, and threw her arms around Fenris' middle. "Sorry, you had your chance," she teased him, and he grumbled. "Be safe, and watch over the others, okay?"

"We will be all right?" he asked again.

"I told you what I could," she answered. "But be ready for anything." He nodded, letting her go, with a bit of a nudge. __Still not ready for PDAs,__ she thought.

She turned again, seeing Anders was beside her. "Darling, are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Absolutely, and don't call me that," she said. "I only let you yesterday because you were sad."

"But I'm always sad," he said, grinning at her.

"Uh-huh, I can tell," she said, smiling back. He threw his arms around her, rocking them back and forth in a long hug, and had her chuckling.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," she comforted him with a pat on the back.

"You'd better hope so, or sad Anders is definitely coming back instead of me," he said. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, and she rolled her eyes at him. "What?" he asked in mock surprise. "There may be crazed suitors here, you don't know. From what I hear, Carver is trying to court you."

"Hurry up and leave, so I can miss you," she said, rolling her eyes and pushing him away. She went back over to Isabela one more time, and gave her another hug. "I'll miss you most Issy," she said quietly and Isabela laughed.

"We'll be back before you know it, Kitty."

"And I want all the details!" Cat said, and Isabela looked at her in question, before speaking.

"You stay safe, Kitty."

Bartrand started yelling, and the group began leaving. Cat stood there, waving as her friends picked up their packs and headed out with the group. She noticed that Carver and Hawke were having a hard time getting their mother to let go, as she was always wanting one more hug.

She continued to wave even though she watched the Hawke family. Carver suddenly strode off, leaving Garrett to deal with things. She smiled as Garrett took the time to calm his mother down, and kissed her cheek in farewell. __Okay, so he wasn't always an ass, at least to his mom,__ she thought. She watched as he sent her off home, not wanting her to watch them leave.

* * *

When his mother had finally left the square, he turned to follow the group. With all the supplies and animals, as well as people, they hadn't made much headway yet. He started after them, feeling somewhat guilty for letting Carver come, but if he hadn't… Carver would hate him even more.

There wasn't much he could do to repair the relationship with his remaining sibling, though he continued to try. He just hoped his mother would understand someday.

He stopped as he felt a pull on his arm, and suddenly had his arms full of Cat, who was hugging him. He had tried not to watch as she went to each of his crew and gave them hugs, feeling even worse then the ass she had accused him of being.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, and he felt even lower, though he still put his arms around her to hug her back. "I'm sorry for avoiding you."

"No," he replied. "I'm sorry for making you feel like you needed to. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…"

"It wasn't that," she said, clearly uncomfortable, and he gave her a look that said he didn't believe her.

"Really… I… I just…" she licked her lips, and he groaned inwardly. "I just didn't want to ruin…"

She trailed off again, and he stood there, perplexed, trying to read her face and understand what she was saying. __Ruin what?__ he thought. __The group dynamic? Our friendship?__

"Not important," she said suddenly, and stepping back out of his arms, she patted his arm forcefully a few times, her face bright red.

"Uh, be safe," she said, and turning, ran away from him.

Hawke stood there, gaping after her. __What in the Maker's…?__ he thought. She was acting so odd, and he started walking again, looking back several times, wanting to see her again, as if that would shed some light on her behavior.

* * *

Cat ran several blocks before she stopped to catch her breath, wondering where she had even been going. She leaned back against a wall, putting her face in her hands, feeling the heat trying to escape through her cheeks.

 _ _Again!__ She thought. __Again, she acted like a complete idiot, just because she was around Hawke.__ She had hoped that kissing Fenris or even Anders would have gotten rid of this feeling, but just giving Hawk a hug had her remembering the last time she was in his arms.

 _"_ _ _Crap, crap, crap!"__ she said under her breath. __Issy didn't deserve this, friends didn't poach on someone the other was interested in.__ Cat wallowed another moment before she determined her new course of action. She had over two weeks at least, to get rid of… whatever this was.

"My lady? Are you all right?" A voice asked, causing Cat to look up through her fingers. "I couldn't stand by, while a beautiful woman was so upset."

Cat stared, unsure why this was happening. __Why had she run here, of all places?!__

"My name is Sebastian Vael, and it would be my pleasure to assist you in any way," the man said with a gentle smile, holding out his hand to her. Cat slowly placed her hand in his, still wary, and he pulled her up straight, and kissed her hand. "And you, my lady?"

"Catarina, or Cat to my friends," she replied, deciding she may as well be friendly.

"A beautiful name, befitting it's owner," he said smoothly. "Though I confess that I would prefer to use the shorter version so that I may be counted among your friends."

"I suppose if that is what you want," she said. "I believe you have already met some of them. Hawke told me your name as someone whose request he fulfilled from the chanter's board."

"Ah!" his face lit, as he smiled at her. "A good man, Hawke. He was so sincere in his desire to help, that I told him, once I gathered more information, I would gladly have his assistance. It seems we are indeed connected then, Lady Cat."

"Not a lady, I'm afraid," she said with a smile. "Just Cat."

"I'll respect your wishes, though you'll never be able to convince me otherwise," he told her.

"Flattery huh?" she teased. "Sorry, but I'm immune."

"Then I'll have to use other weapons in my arsenal," he teased back, and she chuckled.

"Well Sebastian, if anything, I am grateful you came along, to help me out of my mood."

"I live to serve," he replied gallantly, and Cat wondered if he was able to act normal, or if this was normal for him, from being raised as a prince.

"I'd better be heading back," she said. "Perhaps we'll meet again sometime."

She declined him accompanying her home, and walked through the streets of Hightown and Lowtown in deep thought.

It was strange, and perhaps it was just because the story had followed Hawke, and she never saw what the others had been doing when they weren't with Hawke, but she seemed to be running into people that she recognized everywhere. She wondered how much she was actually changing things, by interacting with them. She suddenly remembered her encounter with Flemeth.

 _ _Flemeth told me,__ she thought. __In so many words, to not look back, but live looking forward. I can't do that if I'm always worrying about changing things. It's inevitable, if I live my life here, that things will be different, especially if I continue in Hawke's crew.__

 _ _And if I'm going to live my life here, I want friends, I want a home… a__ real __home. And I want to help my friends have the best outcome they can.__ Having thought that, she smiled to herself and headed home, determined to start right away.


	43. Chapter 43- The Deep Roads

For the first couple of days alone, Cat didn't do anything out of the ordinary. She spent most of her time with Olivia, not only on the tonics they were making, but getting Olivia out of Darktown for a few hours each day. There was never a shortage of people that needed help, however Cat reminded her that she needed time for herself.

Cat finally convinced her when she spoke of cleaning out Fenris' mansion, removing all the broken items, and making it a bit more liveable. As they went from room to room, deciding what to leave in place and what needed to go, they found some pieces they decided to take to the clinic, including a couple of beds.

They visited Lirene's store that evening and found several men they paid to help move the furniture, and Olivia's eyes were shining at the opportunity of rearranging the clinic space, and getting an actual bed instead of a cot.

The following morning, Cat made her way to the Keep, hoping to see Aveline, and perhaps join in the guard's daily workouts. Though it was an unusual request, Aveline agreed to it as long as she stayed to spar with the guards afterwards.

As Cat left the Keep that morning, tired but invigorated, she heard her name, and turned to see Sebastian coming towards her. She gave him a smile, and a little wave, and stopped to speak for a few minutes, finding out he was meeting with the viscount, and sharing that she was working out with the guards, before going on her way.

The next morning, as she left the Keep, she ran into Sebastian again, which gave her pause. "Oh, good morning, Cat," he greeted her. "Fancy meeting you here."

She gave him a questioning look, but he barreled on, requesting that she join him as he had to assist the chantry with some task or another. She agreed, though she didn't feel that he needed her assistance, figuring he was probably trying to get out of the chantry more.

However, morning after morning, Sebastian was waiting for her, some new reason that he needed her assistance, and finally she stopped him before he could ask, and demanded what it was he wanted from her.

He looked away, then back to her, smile gone. "A friend," he answered softly.

"All right," she answered. "I have some things I need to do this morning, so how about we meet at three bells? I could use some more time spent with my crossbow."

His face lit like she had given him a great gift, and he told her of a place to practice near the chantry. She agreed to meet him there at three, and he took his leave, looking happy. She shook her head, seeing him practically skip away, and headed to Fenris' house to meet Olivia.

Cat and Olivia spent a few hours each morning, trying to make the mansion a little more liveable, and a little less… run down. She wasn't sure that Fenris would even appreciate it, but since she spent time here several days a week, she wanted it to be more welcoming. Most of the rooms were left unchanged, they simply covered the furniture and removed the broken items. However, the kitchen and the front room she felt were necessary to fix up.

After Olivia had left, Cat went home to change, and grabbed her crossbow and quiver, and headed back to Hightown. Meeting with Sebastian, she followed him to the back gardens of the chantry, where he had his own practice range set up, with several targets placed strategically at different heights and angles.

It seemed to be just what they needed, and were finally able to build a budding friendship over archery, learning about how they each were taught, and sharing techniques with the other. Sebastian's aim was much better than Cat's, however she was more skilled in hitting smaller, moving targets.

She was glad at how easy it was to talk with him now, and was more at ease with his company. So when he suggested they practice together daily, and perhaps even go for a hunt, she agreed.

Somehow, after only two weeks, she found herself with a routine. Everyday, she would start out at the Keep, working with the guards, followed by spending time with Olivia or Cullen- rotating to see each of them every other day. Then she would have lunch, followed by practice with Sebastian. In the evenings, she would use her time to practice her reading and writing skills, determined to improve as she had told Fenris she would.

The days went by quickly, but the nights were long. She would find herself sitting alone, and wondering where her friends were, how they were doing. She was still glad she hadn't gone, the Deep Roads seemed to scare her more than they probably should. But… she missed them, every last one of them. Olivia was fun, and loved to laugh, but she wasn't Isabela. Sebastian and Cullen were great… and treated her so well… but they weren't Fenris and Anders. Even though she was busy everyday… she couldn't stop herself from feeling alone.

* * *

"My lady, I can't help but feel like you aren't truly here with me," Cullen said, startling Cat out of her thoughts.

"Cullen, seriously!" Cat snapped. "I am NOT a lady!"

He was taken aback by her sudden temper, and immediately apologized, which in turn had her feeling like a heel.

"No," she said, rubbing her forehead. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I haven't been sleeping very well I guess." She sighed as she looked around at the scenery of the coast. "But," she went on. "I really wish you would just call me by my name."

"I don't mean to offend," Cullen said quietly.

"I know…" she answered. "But it makes me feel as if you are keeping a wall between us. If that is what you want, then fine, call me lady."

"Well… no… I …. I mean…" Cullen faltered, and Cat started laughing.

"Maker, you remind me so much of Alistair," she said, and Cullen looked over in interest.

"The Grey Warden? Who was once a templar recruit?"

"The same," she answered. "When I first met him, he tried to call me lady too, but he let it go much sooner than you have. Do they teach all of you manners in your templar classes?" she asked, teasing.

"You would be surprised," he answered, looking out at the ocean as well, his hands clasped behind his back. "I would say they are drummed into us when we are lads, just joining the recruits. Now, it is more ingrained," he added.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Cullen," Cat said, somewhat in warning, and had Cullen glancing over in question, though she was still looking out at the water.

"I always appreciate honesty," he answered.

"I feel as if you do not see me as a friend," she said quickly, wanting to get it out before she changed her mind. "instead you see me as Andraste or someone that is completely out of reach." She turned to face him now, wanting him to understand. "I can't be that, not even for you. I don't want to be admired, I want to have a friend. Someone who will tell me when I am being foolish, or even do foolish things with me and laugh about it. Someone who will tell me what I need to hear, even if I don't want to."

He opened his mouth, and closed it again, unsure of how to respond.

"For example," she offered. "You do not seem like the same templar I first met. I know that you have been through something awful, and that can change your perspective, especially concerning mages."

"In that, you are correct," he replied, still looking out to sea. "Meredith is not an easy taskmaster, but ours is not an easy task." He glanced at her then, with a wry smile, "I would not have liked her, as I was when I met you. I thought mages deserved a softer touch."

His face tightened as he remembered, "I was held in that cage for what… weeks? Months? I can't say. But I would gladly give my life to avoid seeing again what I saw." He turned to face her now, face grim. "Meredith is never fooled by a sweet face. She always sees the demon behind it, and I have come to understand why."

"I can see that," she replied. "but Cullen, it's like you went from one extreme to the other! Isn't there more of a middle ground?"

Cullen was silent for some time, and Cat gave him the time he needed. "I don't know anymore," he said quietly.

* * *

"Olivia?" Cat called out the next day as she entered the clinic. She heard some rustling, and suddenly Olivia came out of her room, breathless. "You okay?" she asked with a smirk.

"Oh, Cat, you're alone, thank goodness…" Olivia sighed.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Cat asked, perplexed.

"You wouldn't, I just…" Olivia stepped closer, and lowered her voice. "You know what Anders is involved in, right?"

"Yes," Cat answered slowly, though she wasn't sure what Olivia was talking about, she figured she knew about whatever it was.

"I thought so," Olivia answered. "Well, I have trying to join too, but he wouldn't let me, told me it was too dangerous, but I don't care anymore! I want to help others get free, just like you all helped me!" She spoke resolutely, though still kept her voice down.

Now Cat understood, Olivia wanted to be a part of the mage underground. She smiled at her friend, "Did Anders give any other reasons not to join?" she asked.

"No, and that's why I went ahead anyway," she answered. "If he had had a good reason, I might have considered it, but danger? That's nothing. We face danger everyday, just because of who we are."

"That's true," Cat agreed.

"So… uh… what do you think? Is he going to be mad at me?" she asked.

"I think it's up to you," Cat replied, and Olivia let out a sigh of relief. "But… I would tell him once he gets back, don't let him find out from someone else."

"That's a good idea," Olivia mused. "Anyway, that's why I was so out of breath. I just barely made it back, and I had to hide the books I brought."

"Huh?" Cat asked, confused. "Back from where?"

"The gallows, of course." Olivia replied. "There's a secret entrance here through Darktown, and it's how the underground has been sneaking mages to freedom. Of course, the templars have noticed that too many are going missing, so we've had to stop temporarily, so now we're smuggling out books- spell books and books of theory, anything the templars would ban us from."

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Cat replied.

"Yeah, the grand enchanter has connections, so there is a place in Hightown we've been storing everything. You wouldn't believe the things that are there! Plus we're hiding everything right under their noses!" Olivia giggled, and Cat gave her a smile.

"Like what?" Cat asked.

"Well, I haven't looked through it all, but there are letters, and journals, and books about everything! Spirit healing is the one I brought back, but there were even some on blood magic, necromancy, you name it."

"Whoa, that could mean big trouble if the templars found it."

"No kidding," Olivia replied.

* * *

"It's been over two weeks! You'd think we'd have found something by now, even if it was some darkspawn."

"Don't say that," Anders looked up at Carver to glare at him. "You have no idea what they are like."

"I've fought darkspawn, they aren't too terrible," Carver replied dismissively.

"Sure, just like rats," Anders agreed. "One or two is no big deal. But what happens when you are suddenly surrounded by fifty?"

Carver glanced around, not wanting to show his unease at the thought,remembering their near escape from Lothering. "All I'm saying, is that I thought this would be more exciting."

"I'm sure you aren't the only one, brother," Hawke said from his seat on the ground. "Isabela's about ready to tear her hair out."

"Any tearing will be to you, not me," Isabela replied without opening her eyes. "But you're right, we haven't found any of the things you promised. Fights… valuables… I'm feeling let down."

"Come on Rivaini, we'll find something," Varric teased. "Bartrand won't let us leave until we do."

"I wonder what Cat's up to?" Anders asked aloud. "She's probably bored without all of us."

"Kitty?" Isabela scoffed. "She knows how to make her own excitement."

"And what does that mean?" Anders asked.

"Exactly what you would think," she replied. "Even aboard the ship, she was never one to stay idle. She would always find something to keep her busy." Isabela smirked at Anders. "Hopefully she'll take my advice, and let the Knight Captain help her stay __busy."__

Anders and Fenris both rolled their eyes at her, and Isabela contemplated agitating them by pointing it out, but decided it wasn't worth moving, and she'd save it for another time.

Bartrand's scouts returned then, and Varric and Hawke stood and went over to hear their report. The group waited, seeing Bartrand punch his scout in the face and screaming at him. A few smirked at each other, feeling sorry for his people, and feeling a little better about their own situation.

Hawke walked back to them, letting them know that they were heading out ahead of the group to scout out the side passages, in the hopes of finding a different path, since there had been cave ins. "The scouts informed us these side passages are too dangerous, so it looks like you'll get the excitement you were looking for," Hawke told Carver.

"Finally," Isabela said as she stood.

"Feel free to leave packs or anything else behind, since we'll be coming back," Hawke said.

"That is unwise," Fenris said, and Hawke looked at him in surprise, as Fenris hardly ever spoke against him. "If another cave in were to happen, we could be stranded without supplies," Fenris added, and after thinking on it, Hawke nodded.

"Very well, up to you then," he said, letting each of them choose what they would prefer. He was hardly surprised when everyone except Isabela shouldered their packs. They looked at her, and she asked, "What?"

Before anyone could reply, Bodahn came forward, upset. "I'm sorry to add to your burden my friends, but I'm afraid I must! My boy, Sandal, wandered off and is somewhere in those passages right now! I beg you, keep an eye out for him!" Bodahn's face fell. "He just… doesn't understand danger like he should!"

"One boy alone? Out there?" Hawke asked, trying to be kind, but saying what they were all thinking.

"My boy is sturdier than you'd think. If he has one of his enchantments with him, he'll survive. After all, he's burnt the house down twice already! I'm more worried about him getting lost! Oh, my poor boy!"

"We'll bring him back," Hawke said with a smile. "In at least one piece."

Bodahn didn't see the humor, and just shook his head as he walked away. "Oh, Sandal! Why do you do this?" he muttered.

"Let's get a move on then," Varric said, and Hawke led the way into a hastily made side passage.

They hadn't gone very far, when their tunnel of rock met with another passage. There was rubble all around, yet it was apparent to all that this tunnel was different. The walls looked smooth, and polished, with a light coming from the bottom. Every twenty feet there was a pillar, looking like stacked blocks though they were carved directly into the wall.

"Hard to believe this was once all solid rock," Merrill stated, as they walked slowly, looking around.

"It's definitely warmer here," Carver mentioned.

"It's the lava," Anders answered, pointing at the base of the walls. The others moved over to look, seeing channels dug into the sides of the road where lava flowed, giving heat and light to the tunnel.

"The darkspawn are a much bigger threat than I realized, since the dwarves gave up this place," Varric said. Hawke followed a source of light down the left fork in the passage, and they soon found themselves at a dead end, on a cliff above a lake of lava. They stepped back, and retraced their steps, taking the right fork instead, which was another hastily made tunnel, not nearly as fine, and without the light or heat form the lava.

"Looks like the dwarves were adding this tunnel," Hawke said, taking in the discarded equipment, scaffolding, and and carving machines left in disarray. As he turned the corner, he could see a few random fires burning, and headed forward, before being stopped by Anders.

"Darkspawn. Nearby." Anders spoke softly, and Hawke merely nodded. The group went forward as silently as they were able, pulling out weapons, and preparing for a fight. Hawke turned the corner, and headed down the stairs, seeing a group of darkspawn in the room, though he couldn't see what they were doing.

Before he could give instructions, a hurlock spotted them, and gave a cry, and the entire group turned as one. They charged forward, and Hawke stepped back, letting the melee fighters take point, while he readied a spell. The hurlocks were no challenge, but several of them let out screeches before they fell.

"Do you think they called for reinforcements?" Varric asked Hawke.

"If so, we'd better handle them fast before the call is passed on."

The group moved forward more quickly, crossing a small bridge and finding another group of hurlocks in front of a stone door. The dispatched the darkspawn, and Anders insisted on taking time to check for injuries, as even a scratch could be fatal if any darkspawn blood were to get in it.

As Anders cleared them, the others looked around the area, not finding much, though Carver did discover a large two handed hammer. He placed his sword back in it's sheath on his back, and hefted the new weapon, giving several practice swings.

Once Anders was done, Hawke led the group forward, opening the door, and stepping across the threshold.

"Evil is watching from the darkness…" Merrill said out of nowhere, and the group all paused, looking back at her. "What?" she asked, confused. "It is."

Hawke shook his head, no where to go but forward after all, but he was much more cautious. Not ten steps in, more hurlocks came forward to engage them, and the group once again fell into battle formation. "Emissary!" Anders shouted, and Hawke whirled, seeing a horrific darkspawn, in what looked like old mage robes with a barrier around it, flinging spells at them. It didn't even pause as its spells would kill its own kind, and Hawke's lip curled in disgust.

He made quick work of it, flinging a large fireball directly at its chest, but was feeling somewhat drained, and waited in the now empty corridor for his mana to replenish. He watched as Varric and Isabela walked down another flight of stairs, seeing the old chest they were making their way towards.

"Wait!" Merrill yelled suddenly, and giant spiders began dropping from the ceiling. Hawke started running towards the stairs with the others, seeing far more than they could handle on their own.

Something else came down from above, and blocked the way forward, though it took Hawke a moment to realize that it was also a spider, though the biggest creature he had ever seen. It was easily as tall as an ogre, and twice as wide, and Hawke felt his jaw drop just looking at it. He heard the screams of his people, and jumped into action once more.

"THAT'S THE BIGGEST SPIDER I'VE EVER SEEN!" Anders yelled.

"IT'S MONSTROUS!" Varric yelled back from the other side of the beast.

"AAAHH!" Merrill screamed, as she went tumbling from a hit from one of it's legs.

Fenris somehow made his way on top of the creature, and slammed his greatsword down into its body, causing the spider to screech in pain, and thrash. Fenris held onto his sword, obviously creating more damage to the spider, as it continued to scream and buck.

Hawke threw magic as if he had an unlimited supply, bolt after bolt of electricity, knowing it was their weakness, as well as some well placed stone fists, hoping to break its legs. It seemed like forever, but finally the spider fell, its legs curling up into its body.

Fenris picked himself off the ground where he was flung, and moved to the spider, trying to roll it over from it's back so that he could retrieve his sword. He didn't ask for help, but Merrill finally took pity on him, and using one of her nature spells, helped turn the spider enough so that Fenris pulled out his sword. He took it in hand and stalked over to the spider's head, chopping it off in one massive swing.

"Was that necessary?" Varric asked. "I'm fairly certain it was dead."

"And now you are absolutely certain," Fenris replied, walking to the stairs and sitting.

They all by unspoken agreement decided to rest after this last fight, waiting for Hawke to push them onward. He didn't mind, he needed to replenish his mana if he would be of any help in the fights to come.

"I will not be sorry to see daylight again," Varric said.

"How does anyone live here in the dark?" Merrill asked him. "Don't they bump into things?"

Isabela laughed, as Varric tried to explain, and the others smirked at his discomfort in coming up with a plausible explanation that suited her.

"And everyone told me I was being a baby about the Deep Roads," Anders said with a superior look.

"Well yeah," Isabela said. "It's not nearly as bad as you said," she replied, and everyone agreed with her, causing Anders to splutter and pout.

"We're teasing," Hawke said, clapping his shoulder. "Let's keep going everyone."

They continued without incident, finding a few deep mushrooms, and even a deposit of raw lyrium, giving the mages a boost, just by being near it. There were a few doors, but each one was impossible to budge, and it was assumed that there were cave ins, and the group continued on.

"Well, I'll be a nug's uncle…" Varric said, as he stopped at the top of a flight of stairs. "Isn't that Bodahn's boy?"

"It is! The great warrior stands victorious!" Carver said with a laugh.

"I don't see a weapon," Isabela said, looking at the dead darkspawn around him. "Did he stun them with his wit?"

Hawke glanced over, noticing the boy had his back to them, as if he hadn't heard them approach, and was giving his backside a good scratch. He chuckled and headed down the stairs. The boy turned, being covered in blood, and said, "'Ello."

"How did you kill all of them?" Hawke asked him, and Sandal handed him a rune that was cold to the touch.

"Boom."

Hawke glanced over at the ogre, unsure if it was frozen, crystallized, or stone, but whatever it was, he wanted to know, "And how did you do that?" he gestured.

"Not enchantment," Sandal said with a grin, and he walked back the way they came.

"Smart boy," Varric said quietly.

"Let's go," Hawke said, and led out. Eventually, the passage led back to the ornate type of halls they had passed through before, but this time, they were even more ornate. "Are those… golems?" Hawke asked Varric.

"Too big," Varric said. "Must be statues depicting the paragons."

Hawke continued forward, and Anders said, "darkspawn!" hastily. Hawke pulled out his staff, and readied his lightning, turning the corner, and letting it loose. The hurlocks were stunned, as the lightning coursed through them, jumping back and forth in arc from one to the other, and both fell down at Hawke's feet.

"Two more for me," he said, smirking. "We're keeping score, right?"

Carver gave a disgusted noise, and pushed ahead, heading for the door.

"It's not over!" Anders called, as Carver pushed open the door and walked in. Fenris barreled forward, tackling Carver out of the way as an ogre charged past, and ran directly into the wall. It was stunned, but more than that, it looked as if its horns were stuck in the wall.

Hawke took advantage, as did the others, pelting its back with spells, arrows and cuts from weapons. By the time Carver and Fenris stood, the ogre was dead.

"I was fine," Carver grumbled, and Fenris' eyebrow winged up.

"You are welcome," he replied, and headed off toward the next door. Varric and Isabela both shouted at everyone to freeze, and it showed how much they trusted each other in battle, that each of them stopped without another step.

Isabela and Varric walked slowly in between them, disarming several claw traps, and Hawke gave them a grin, and said, "Good work you two."

Hawke took the lead again, and headed through the door after looking to Anders, who nodded. They were once again in an ornate tunnel, yet this time, it was a wreck. Rubble was everywhere, as well as bones, though it was hard to tell what they were from.

Hawke led down the tunnel, seeing in the distance that it opened into a wide room. He glanced back at Anders again.

"I don't sense anything…" he said, and Hawke nodded, and continued on. The group entered the room, seeing the statues of the paragons again, though twice the size as before, reaching up to the ceiling.

"Scatter!" Hawke yelled, and their quick reactions saved them again. The dragon landed in the midst of the group, and roared loudly. It looked around, choosing its target, before heading straight for Isabela.

She threw down a smoke bomb, disappearing into stealth and moving away. The dragon then turned to the nearest person, Merrill, and headed for her.

Carver and Fenris began yelling, distracting the dragon, and drawing it away from the mage, who backed away at an even pace in order to not draw its attention again. The mages began pummeling the dragon's wings with cold spells, and Hawke was annoyed again that even together, his and Merrill's spells were weaker than Anders' were.

He told himself to work on his cold spells again, and then focused back on the fight. He let out a cry as something attacked his flank, and he turned to see several dragonlings surrounding them from behind.

"Dragonlings!" he called out, limping away and dodging the jaws of the creatures trying to bite him again. Isabela and Varric appeared out of nowhere, helping to quickly down the little beasts, and as a group they turned back to the adult.

The dragon didn't last long after that, as the group systematically broke through its defenses, and killed it, with Fenris cutting through its neck.

"What's with you chopping heads off today?" Varric asked.

"Why? Would you like to be next?" Fenris replied.

"Sorry I asked," Varric muttered, and headed far away from Fenris. He headed towards the tunnel opening, and brightened. "Hawke!" he called. "This leads where we want it to. Let's get back and tell Bartrand."

"Need a minute here, Varric," Hawke replied, as Anders worked to clean the bite to the back of his thigh.

"Thankfully, he wasn't able to get a good grip, but you are missing a piece of yourself," Anders said with a gentle smile. "This will probably take some time."

"Varric, take Carver, Fenris and Merrill and head back, and lead the others here. I should be ready to go by then."

"Okay Hawke," Varric said, hefting Bianca. "Let's go Broody, Junior, Daisy. The quicker we find the loot, the sooner we can leave."

"I hate the bloody Deep Roads," Anders muttered as he worked. "This is why I left the Wardens."

"I heard that, you baby," Isabela said, and Anders turned to glare at her.

"Sometimes I want to freeze you solid, if only to shut you up," he groused, only half serious.

"Doesn't everyone?" Isabela laughed. "But you won't."

"Oh? What's stopping me? Hawke?"

She smirked at him, as she played her trump card. "Kitty, of course."

"Oh, right," he answered, pouting again.


	44. Chapter 44- Blight Sickness

Author's Note: Hey everybody! I did finish this chapter yesterday, but being on my laptop in the car driving home from another state in the middle of the night, was just not working for posting. So, now that I am home from work, here it is! Thank you to everyone new that is following and giving kudos! And a huge thank you to all those who have been sticking with me for so long!

* * *

"Nothing makes sense…"

"Why's that?" Hawke asked Varric's brother, only halfway curious to hear the answer.

"We are well beneath the Deep Roads. Whatever dwarves lived here they came long before the first blight. But where are the statues of Paragons? I don't recognize any of the markings on the walls, or the rubble. Which means, these dwarves…. must have been unique."

"Then whatever we find will be very rare and valuable," Hawke replied with a grin.

"Hmph," Bartrand grunted, frowning. "Possibly."

Hawke quickly lost interest in whatever Bartrand and his scouts were looking for, and gave his companions a nod toward the unexplored tunnel, heading there before Bartrand could call them back. They walked silently, no one speaking, until Bodahn stepped in front of him.

"I don't know how I can thank you!" Bodahn said gratefully. I swear on my life, I __will__ repay you for this!"

"There is no need ser dwarf," Hawke replied, keeping his voice down, and glancing around.

"But there is!" Bodahn insisted. "I don't know how, but I will find a way."

Hawke gave Varric a questioning glance as Bodahn left them, and Varric merely shrugged. True, they hadn't done anything to actually save the dwarf's son, but Varric wasn't one to argue if someone wanted to pay them.

The group moved forward again, glancing around as they walked. "This place seems intact," Varric said to Hawke. "Think we'll find anything?"

"Who knows?" Hawke replied. "Most likely we'll find more darkspawn… or perhaps rubble?" he teased.

"Hmph," Varric grunted, sounding awfully like his brother, though Hawke decided to keep that thought to himself. "Guess we'll have to go in to find out."

"It's not like the scouts are in any hurry to do so," Carver added, making his way to the front. "If we are going to find anything worthwhile, we should explore on our own." He strode forward, and Hawke watched, amused, as the rest of them waited for him to signal before they moved forward.

Hawke paused as he heard his brother roar, and immediately went charging forward, staff at the ready. He flung a stonefist at the nearest shade, before wondering why there were shades here to begin with. Before he could think too hard, the sharp sound of rocks smashing together had him turning to his left.

There was an activated golem, bearing down on his little brother, smashing its fists into the ground and stunning the smaller warrior. Hawke flung another spell, which seemed to not affect the stone creature at all, and he continued to try spell after spell, while yelling for the others to help him.

The shades now dispatched, the group turned their attention to the golem, which didn't stand a chance. Isabela struck the final blow, watching with a smirk as the creature stumbled and fell onto its face, unmoving.

She moved over to look more closely, and then leaned forward to pluck something from it, standing back up with a small diamond in her hand. "Ooh… shiny," she said, moving to place the gem in her tunic… somewhere.

"Rivaini," Varric said in a scolding tone. "All loot goes to those who paid for the expedition."

"Oh Varric, but of course!" she said as she continued on. Varric and Hawke exchanged unbelieving glances, sure that they would never see the diamond again.

Hawke followed after her, coming to a small staircase cut into the rock. His attention was caught by a shimmering pool on his right, and he crouched down to look at it.

"Orichalcum," Anders said, answering his unspoken question.

"The metal?" Hawke asked incredulously.

"Yes," Anders answered. "It is usually found in its liquid form, and crafted into solid metal. It's pretty rare, usually only used as a top coating for steel or iron weapons."

"Then we should take some," Hawke suggested. "That shopkeeper, Solivitus, will most likely pay handsomely for rare metal as he did for the other materials."

"You can use my waterskin," Merrill suggested, finishing off the last of her water, and handing the empty skin to Hawke, who then dipped it into the shining liquid, filling it as much as he could. He started to hand the waterskin back, then picturing Merrill accidentally drinking the metal, he placed it over his own shoulder, and wiping the excess from his fingers onto his pants.

"Ha!" Hawke barked. "Instant armor!" He laughed at his own joke, though no one else did, and they continued down the small stairs. They walked slowly, looking for anything of note, and ignored the sounds of Varric's brother storming furiously after them.

"I suppose this could be a thaig, it looks exactly like I've heard them spoken of," Varric said, turning in a circle. "But if it is…"

"If it is?" Hawke asked.

"Well, if it is… then these dwarves are nothing like the dwarves of today. How did things become so different? Paragons are basically like gods, and there are none depicted here."

Hawke didn't respond, as he could feel something strange about this tunnel as well. There was something… odd… that made it different, but he couldn't tell what it was.

Anders looked around himself, wondering what it was that seemed to be- - calling to him, almost. No, it had to be his imagination. __Same hallway, same rubble, same reddish glow from the lava… everything was exactly the same. Which could only mean that the Deep Roads were getting to me again,__ he thought.

Isabela eyed the veins in the rock, wondering how they could have gotten so big. __Did the dwarves leave them alone, or had it simply grown back since the time this tunnel was made? And what was it? A new type of mineral? What would glow such an unearthly red, and more importantly, was it valuable?__

Varric glanced left and right, as he followed Hawke up the stairs in front of them, seeing a large rectangular altar, that was practically singing his name. He grinned as they reached the top, seeing a statuette that was shining out at him.

"It's definitely magic," Anders said, looking at it. "And not the good kind."

"Who cares?" Isabela stated with a smirk. "It's shiny!"

"Is that… lyrium?" Hawke mumbled to himself, not really asking the others.

"Do not touch it." They glanced over to Fenris, seeing his face twisted in a grimace. "If it is lyrium, it has something wrong with it."

"How can you tell?" Varric asked, eyeing the statuette from several angles. "It doesn't look like any lyrium I've ever seen."

Fenris ignored Varric, turning to Hawke and speaking in earnest about the need to stay away from the discovery, though he had no factual reasons why. Varric gestured to Isabela, who leaned forward giving Merrill a nudge, who took that as a request to pick it up.

They all looked at Merrill for a few moments, waiting for something bad to happen, as Bartrand entered the room, finally catching up to them. Varric took the statuette from Merrill and showed it to his brother, stopping his anger before it was unleashed. "Look Bartrand, an idol, made of pure lyrium I think. Could be worth a fortune!"

"Could be…" Bartrand replied under his breath as he mused at the turn of events lining up in front of him. Varric tossed the idol to him, and holding it, he changed his appraisal to most definitely worth a fortune. He glanced up to Varric and his… __friends…__ and turned, walking silently back to the door. He closed it slowly, not making a sound, with only a glance back at his brother.

At that moment, Varric and Hawke were listening to Fenris and Anders argue, though they were actually agreeing with each other, both wanting to leave the idol where they found it. Hawke, while not convinced, seemed to understand their concerns, though he worked to convince them that they would investigate the idol before leaving the thaig, and if needed, would leave it behind.

Fenris glared, eyes hot, and Varric suddenly understood why his victims were always looking like they would piss themselves. "C'mon Broody, let's see what else we can find. If we find enough treasure, I'm sure Bartrand will forget about the idol."

"Speaking of…" Isabela interrupted, and they all turned to where Bartrand had been standing. "Uh… where did that door come from?" she asked, running over to it. She pushed and pulled at it before Hawke nudged her out of the way and tried himself.

"Bartrand!" Varric yelled out through the door. "The door shut, and we can't budge it!"

The group tensed as the muffled laughter came through. Varric felt his insides freeze. Bartrand couldn't be teasing him… Bartrand __never__ teased. In fact, Varric had always assumed he got all the humor in the family.

"You always were a quick one, Varric," he heard, and he could scarcely believe it.

"You're __joking?!"__ Varric spat out. "You're going to screw over your own brother?! For some __lousy idol?!"__

The harsh laugh came again, and Varric knew the answer before he heard it. "It's not __just__ the idol… the location of this thaig alone is worth a fortune, and I am NOT splitting that three ways!" There was a pause, and Varric pressed closer to the door. "So long… brother."

Hawke was silent as he watched Varric. He and Carver were constantly fighting with each other, it was true, but this was different. It was strange, but he knew Carver cared, because of how mad he would get. This… Bartrand's voice held nothing but cold indifference, and knowing Varric… he knew he could hear it as well. He didn't know how he would react if his brother had done to him what Bartrand had just done to Varric.

Varric cleared his throat, eyes growing hard. The mourning for the few good memories he had with his brother was done, and now he just had his anger left. "I swear it Hawke," he said, still looking at the door. "I will find that son of a … __sorry mother,"__ he muttered, stopping his tirade.

Hawke reached out, clasping his shoulder as Varric sighed.

"So, we're trapped?" Carver asked.

"No," Varric answered, walking further into the room, looking around. "We will just take another way out."

"How do you know there is one, Varric?" Merrill asked, surprised.

Varric glanced back, his own face still hard and unforgiving. "Because, I have to see my brother again…. so I can kill him."

* * *

"What is it Cat? I'm pretty busy this morning."

Cat looked at Aveline, hesitating, since she certainly looked busy. "Nothing important Aveline, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait," Aveline called, and Cat turned back. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to shoo you away. I guess I'm a little overwhelmed by all of this," she said, gesturing to the full desk in front of her.

"Who wouldn't be?" Cat asked. "But if anyone can do it, you can."

"That's sweet," Aveline said with a smile. "Come on now, sit down. I have to remind myself to take time for friends, or I may end up without any."

Cat smiled, and pulled a chair closer to sit in it. "It really is nothing, I just feel like they would have been back by now. It's been almost a month."

"Hawke didn't really have an idea of how long it would take…" Aveline said with a shrug. "But I'm sure it won't be too much longer."

"I suppose so. I guess I'm just ready for something new."

"Oh I see, though if you needed an adventure, you should have gone with them," Aveline smirked at her, and Cat grinned.

 _ _Aveline needs to tease more, it helps keep her from being too serious,__ she thought. "No way was I going down there for weeks on end," Cat said. "Can you imagine what they all smell like?" she asked, wrinkling her nose, causing Aveline to chuckle.

"Not pleasant, I am sure." Aveline looked at her speculatively, and added, "speaking of, I hear you find the Knight Captain's company rather pleasant."

"Oh… we're doing that now, are we?" Cat asked slyly. "If you want the answer, you'll have to reciprocate…"

"What?" Aveline asked, taken aback.

"Oh come now, Aveline, surely you've at least appreciated the look of someone by now," Cat said with a giggle.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"No? There are plenty of handsome guards around you everyday…"

"That's… I mean, I'm not…"

"Um-hmm," Cat grinned again, enjoying not being the blushing one. "All right, I'll go first," she said, to ease her friend's discomfort. She was actually pretty happy that she and Aveline had this time without the others, because she probably wouldn't have gotten to know her as well as she had if anyone had stayed behind as well.

"Cullen is… a frustrating, stubborn, kind man, and has become a good friend."

"Interesting description," Aveline commented.

"Well, it's a unique situation, but we met about two years ago, when we were both in Ferelden. The group I was with saved him from mages who were torturing him."

"Are you serious?" she asked with surprise.

"Unfortunately, yes, though please do not share that with others, he doesn't like for people to know." Aveline nodded, the mood now somber. "At first, he was intent on repaying me for this, seeing me as his personal savior, though we are on more equal footing now. But…"

Cat tried to think of a kind way to express her frustrations, leaving her words hanging, and Aveline asked, "but?"

"He has a hatred for mages inside him now, one that I'm not sure he wants to let go of. It's become a wedge between us, that we are both ignoring, for now."

"Is that really such a bad thing?" Aveline asked, which had Cat taken aback.

"I would think any hatred or prejudice is a bad thing, Aveline."

"I understand, but when it comes to malificar…"

"Oh…" Cat replied, seeing what Aveline meant, "I suppose not, if that was the case, but it's not. He sees all mages that way, because he is taught that every mage is a malificar in hiding. And of course Meredith is shoving her view down his throat daily… Ugh! Like I said… frustrating."

"Then why are you spending so much time with him?" Aveline asked, confused. "I assumed he was trying to court you."

Cat gave her a deadpan stare. "No. It's not like that." She rolled her eyes. "Everybody always goes there first…" she muttered. "I'm spending time with him, because he needs friends. People who will help him, since his trauma will stay with him throughout his life. And… because he has ideas, when he's not focused on the bad times, dreams of a better life for both mages and templars, and when I hear them, I want to be better, make things better."

"Varric was right, you __are__ an optimist," Aveline said with a smile.

"Yeah, well…" Cat mumbled, flustered. "I been in situations where I've done nothing and just hoped for the best. It doesn't work. If you want things to be better, you have to work to make them better."

"A sentiment I can agree with," she said as she nodded. "So nothing romantic then?" she asked, just to be certain. Cat shook her head. "Too bad, though I'll be sure to squash the rumors as best I can."

"I'd appreciate that," Cat said. "Though to be honest, I'm getting used to it. Issy is usually the one starting the rumors, after all."

"I still don't understand how you can be friends with her," Aveline groused, and Cat chuckled. "Laugh all you want, but I just don't see it."

"It's about accepting what is, and not expecting to change it," Cat said. "She may tease me, but she doesn't try to change me either, though to be fair, we certainly push each other towards our own way of thinking constantly."

"If I'm honest…" Aveline started, and Cat gave a good ahead gesture, "I'm a little jealous. I never had many friends, especially as close as you two are."

Cat grinned. "It doesn't take much, just a little give and take," she said while wiggling her eyebrows at Aveline. "Give me __something__ Aveline," she teasingly begged.

"Maybe you'd better go first…" Aveline suggested.

"I swear if you back out, I'll be pissed," Cat warned, but thought of what to talk about. There were plenty of incidents she could think of, but she decided to let out what was actually on her mind. "All right then, there is someone who's been in my thoughts lately, which is extremely annoying."

"Oh?" Aveline asked.

"Yes, he's very handsome, in an orderly sort of way."

"Orderly?" she asked with a laugh.

"Yes!" Cat exclaimed. "You know… always looking immaculate, put together, nothing sloppy or torn…"

"I see," she replied. "And that's important to you?"

"I wouldn't have thought so," Cat answered with a small frown. "But…"

"But he's on your mind," Aveline finished for her.

"Right."

"There is… someone… similar, for me," Aveline admitted, and Cat's face lit up with a grin.

"Oh?" she said, asking for more.

"Very kind, and… soft spoken, not at all my type," she continued nervously. "But…"

"But he's on your mind," Cat finished with a dopey grin, just thinking about Aveline's future husband… _if things go right!_ she thought.

"Yes."

"So…?" Cat asked. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Do?"

"Yeah, do. Are you going to let him know that you feel something? Maybe flirt a bit?"

"Oh… uh… no."

"Aveline…" Cat whined slightly. "How would you know what's there if you don't?"

"I'm… not really sure how to… __do__ that." Aveline cleared her throat, very uncomfortable now. "What are you going to do, with…uh, yours?" she asked.

"Me?" Cat asked. "Nothing," she said dismissively.

" _ _Nothing?!"__ Aveline asked incredulously. "Then how can you say I should?"

"Completely different," Cat barreled on. "For many reasons. One, we could never work, we come from… completely different worlds," Cat knew Aveline wouldn't take it as literally as she meant it, but still…

"Two, I think he is or will be committed to another, and three… well… I'm attracted, so something is obviously wrong with him."

Aveline smiled at her last comment, but had to admit, her reasons were good reasons not to pursue a man. Though in her own mind, Cat's reasons weren't exactly accurate. __True, she might think the Starkhaven prince was too different, or spoken for by the chantry, but from what my reports said, he seemed to be pursuing her.__

They continued to speak for a while, until a knock on the door brought Aveline back to the present. Cat took her leave, as a guardsman came with several messages for Aveline's immediate response, and as she watched Cat leave with a wave, she was glad she had followed her instinct to have Cat stay for a chat. She had looked happy when she left, which was better than when she had first come in her office.

* * *

"You're getting much better, Cat."

She grinned over at Sebastian, feeling the satisfaction that came whenever she hit the center of the target. "Thanks. Now if I could just hit the center while rolling, that would be an accomplishment!"

"Indeed it would!" he agreed. "Though in most fights, a hit is effective, no matter its location."

"True…" she agreed. Sighing, she followed him in setting down their weapons, and walking to the other end of the garden to collect their bolts.

"I imagine we won't have these daily practices once Hawke returns," Sebastian said, and Cat nodded thoughtfully.

"I don't know, it will depend on what happens. Hawke was so busy trying to get money together for the expedition, I doubt anyone has given thought to what comes after."

"Then perhaps we can plan on practicing unless Hawke needs you for something else?" he asked.

"Well, between Isabela, Fenris, Anders, Olivia and Cullen, I may be busy at first, but don't worry, I won't forget about you," she said with a smirk. "We'll just have to plan a little further in advance."

"We could set up some sort of schedule," he suggested.

"And that is why you'll get along fine with Hawke," she replied. "Just don't try to change his schedule, and you'll be friends for life."

"That's good to hear," he said softly. "I want your friends to like me."

"Honestly Sebastian, as long as Hawke likes you, you're good. Several of the others don't really get along, but Hawke somehow brings everyone together."

* * *

"Move Hawke. I'm going to cut his head off."

"Look, I may want to kill him as much as anyone, but he's still my brother," Hawke retorted.

"Doesn't matter to me," Varric grumbled.

"I know this isn't normal, but I agree with Fenris," Anders chimed in, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Oh please," Isabela scoffed. "He's harmless, just trying to prove he's as much a man, or more than the rest of you."

"And that's an excuse to get us all killed?" Anders shot back. "You wouldn't be feeling so generous if it had been you down there with those creatures."

Isabela rolled her eyes, and sauntered forward. "Let's just keep going. I'm ready to get out of here."

Fenris glared, but sheathed his sword and waited for everyone else to move,wanting to stay in the back. Merrill and Carver moved again at Hawke's word, and the rest filed in.

Hawke rubbed his forehead, as he started to walk. Nothing was going according to plan, and it was giving him quite the headache. As he looked up, he caught Isabela eyeing him and he gave her a smirk and a shrug, getting a wink in return.

"Hurry up!" Carver yelled back, causing everyone's annoyance to surface again. Anders slowed down, allowing Hawke to catch up.

"I'm concerned about this new lyrium we're seeing," Anders said softly, intending for Hawke to be the only one to hear.

"What's to worry about?" Isabela asked, peering around from Hawke's other side. "It's so rare none of us have heard of or seen it before. Plus, it's shiny, so it's worth something."

"Don't touch it," Anders warned. "We have no idea of the consequences."

"You'd be more fun if you didn't always think of consequences," Isabela observed.

"Well after being caught and imprisoned in the circle several times, I couldn't help but be more cautious."

"Like I said… no fun."

Hawke held up a hand, wanting to stop before the argument escalated. "We won't touch it," he decreed. "It doesn't feel right."

"This will all be a waste if we come home empty handed," Isabela pointed out, but she didn't argue with his decision.

The group was quiet as Carver came to a door, and opened it. The others rolled their eyes at his continued lack of caution, and pulled their weapons out, or placed hands on hilts, just in case.

"Shades!"

Hawke groaned, but jumped into the fray, already tired of the myriad of creatures they were encountering.

"Wha-?" Varric choked on his own question, as rocks rose from the ground and shaped themselves into humanoid figures. They came forward, attacking. Hawke stayed with his stonefist spell, finding it the most effective against the creatures they had encountered thus far.

He noticed that both Fenris and Carver were using their new mauls, that they had picked up along their journey. Merrill utilized her spirit bolts, and Anders stuck with freezing spells, assisting the warriors and rogues by keeping the creatures from attacking.

The creatures were destroyed back to rock, but the rocks gathered back together, forming a much larger creature, though its basic appearance was the same.

"Enough."

The voice was deep and unearthly, and Hawke immediately recognized it as belonging to a spirit of some kind. He looked at the rock, seeing a skull being used as the head, and though it was missing pieces including an eye, he stared at it, unmoved.

"You have proven your mettle," the voice said once the fighting stopped. "I would not see these creatures harmed without need."

"I'd say being attacked on sight gives us plenty of __need."__ Fenris muttered, and Hawke couldn't help but agree.

"They will not assault you further," the creature said. Hawke opened his mouth to mention something about how they no longer had the ability to try, but the creature didn't give him a chance. "Not without my permission."

"Bloody flames, what were those things?" Varric asked. "They seem like rock wraiths, but…"

"They… _ _hunger,__ " the creature interrupted. "The profane have lingered here for ages, feeding on the magic stones until the need is all they know."

"They __eat__ the lyrium?" Anders asked, surprised. "And you?" he demanded.

"I am not as they are… I am… a visitor."

"You're a demon, feeding on their hunger. I can sense it," Hawke said. If the creature could have smirked, it would have, since Hawke could hear it in its voice.

"I can sense __your__ desire," it said. "You wish to leave this place… but you will need my aid to do so."

"Don't do it," Anders cautioned. "Demons trip you up every time."

"There's no need to be scared," Merrill said with a smile. "You can use it- - if you're careful."

Hawke thought for a moment, then asked, "Why do we need your aid?"

The creature nodded, sensing that it would get what it wanted. "There is a door. It leads to the paths above."

"I sense a catch," Isabela smirked.

"However-" the creature started, before Isabela interrupted with an "Aha! I knew there was a catch!"

"- it is sealed, and can only be opened with a key." It continued as if Isabela hadn't spoken. "I know where the key is, and if you do as I ask, I will tell you."

 _ _Tell, not show,__ Hawke thought, bringing his hand up to stroke the hair on his chin, then letting go, not liking how long it was getting.

"So? What are our options?" Varric asked, wanting to move on. Hawke glanced around, before settling his eyes on Merrill with a grin. She gave him a questioning look, even as she flushed at the attention.

"This something you can handle?" Hawke asked her, and she nodded.

"Of course," she replied, and strode forward pulling out her staff to attack.

"Foolish!" the creature bellowed, even as it fell to Merrill's attack. The profane, no longer held back, surged forward to attack, just as an abomination rose from the rubble of the creature.

The fight wasn't long, and as they moved to continue on, Hawke saw the nods of satisfaction and gratitude from both Anders and Fenris. It wasn't often they all could agree, but demons were something they all viewed the same way.

"Let's find that key," Hawke said to everyone, taking the lead.

* * *

Varric gripped his pack, deciding that the few extra pieces probably weren't the best idea he had, but he didn't want to put back any of the treasure he had taken. The fight with the actual rock wraith had almost stopped them from returning to Kirkwall- ever.

He glanced around, noting that everyone else was similarly burdened, but they had earned this. He smirked as he thought of the one lousy piece Bartrand had settled for, knowing he could torment his brother with that knowledge before sticking him with a bolt.

Hawke used the key they had come across, and the door opened without protest. __Finally, something going our way!__ Varric thought. He walked through the doorway, glancing left and right, before settling on the right fork. "This looks like our way out," he announced.

"How long to get out?" Merrill asked pitifully.

"If we're unlucky?" He answered, "about a week." He just couldn't bring himself to sugarcoat it, even for her.

"And if we're lucky?" Hawke asked.

Varric gave a wicked looking smirk. "Then we'll stumble over Bartrand's half eaten corpse on the way," he said and started walking.

* * *

"This looks familiar," Hawke commented, as they passed a statue of a paragon.

"I would think so, this is where you got a love bite form a dragonling," Isabela said with a smirk, though it lacked her usual luster.

Hawke looked around at his crew, wanting to get them out of here as soon as possible. Merrill was the first to wilt down here, but they were all feeling the same now.

"Can we… take a break?" Carver asked, out of breath.

"What do you say Varric?" Hawke asked.

"We've made good time," Varric answered. "Only five days to get back here. A break couldn't hurt." He looked over at Carver, surprise and concern on his face as he saw him. "Junior? You okay?"

"I feel… wrong."

"Probably those deep mushrooms we found," Hawke said nonchalantly, looking around for somewhere to sit.

Hawke spun around as he heard the crashing sound, and the gasps from the others. "Carver!" he called, rushing over.

Everyone crowded around him, looking to Hawke in concern. True, Carver hadn't exactly endeared himself to them, but he was Hawke's brother.

"Like… that… templar," Carver said, breathing with difficulty.

"It's- - the blight," Anders said quietly. "I can sense it."

Hawke looked stricken, though he smiled at his brother. "Just like you, to not say anything," he said. "I suppose I should have listened to Cat's bad feeling," he added, hanging his head.

Fenris and Isabela looked questioningly at Anders, and he avoided their gaze. __Maker, I don't want to see them again,__ he thought, closing his eyes. __What if they insist that I go back with them?__

He opened his eyes, looking down again. It wasn't the thought of Carver dying, nor the glares of Isabela and Fenris that had him speaking. It wasn't even the thought of Cat's reaction if he didn't. It was the look on Hawke's face, the guilt that he already was shouldering, that opened Anders' mouth.

"There may be something," he said, and Hawke looked up at him with hope. "You know I took those maps from some wardens that had come to Kirkwall. I had thought that they were looking for me, but it turned out they weren't. They were planning their own expedition into the Deep Roads."

Hawke looked confused, but Fenris grabbed his shoulder and glared at him. "Why would you keep this to yourself?!" he demanded.

Anders knocked his hand away, glaring back. "I was trying to avoid them! I didn't want them to know where I was, and Hawke only needed the maps!" He turned back to Hawke, lowering his voice. "If they are still down here, we can bring Carver to them…"

"And what?" Carver asked. "Become a Grey Warden?" He laughed, but was interrupted by a coughing fit.

"Is it a cure?" Hawke asked.

"Yes, I suppose you could look at it that way. Though it is not without a price- one not everyone is willing to pay."

"A price? Maker's breath Anders, just spit it out!" Hawke said somewhat desperately.

"The joining is… unpleasant.. and permanent. Your brother may survive the blight but at the cost of becoming a Grey Warden. It is not an easy life, trust me."

"But… what about you?" Hawke asked, still confused. "You aren't a Grey Warden anymore."

Anders shook his head. "You think I got away? No. This is temporary. Eventually, they or the circle will drag me back. I have no illusions about that."

Fenris wondered at that moment if Cat truly knew what she had asked of Anders, and how she was able to even ask it of him. His respect for the mage grew slightly, though he wouldn't admit it to him… ever.

"But it is possible?" Hawke asked, thinking it through. "How does one even become a Grey Warden?"

"I can't tell you." Hawke looked up, wondering why. "But it's not something you can undo once it's done, even if you want to."

"This keeps sounding better and better," Carver said softly, his breathing easier as he laid there, hardly moving.

"I'm not sure if they'll even agree to it, if we can find them in time," Anders finished, knowing he wasn't giving them much.

Nodding, Hawke stood, and started helping his brother up. "Let's go. It's our only real option." Carver's arm over his shoulder, Hawke looked at Anders, gesturing for him to lead out.

* * *

"Hmm," Anders stopped, glancing around, though he was looking with something other than his eyes.

"What is is?" Isabela asked.

"I think they are nearby," he replied, though he didn't move. "Or… it could be darkspawn."

Fenris pulled out his sword, standing in front of Hawke and Carver. "Which way?" he asked.

Anders glanced back, seeing Isabela, Merrill and Varric with their weapons ready. The corner of his lip twitched up, and he led them down a corridor, pulling his own staff out as well. __If it was the wardens, I won't go without a fight, but the same was true with darkspawn…__

As the tunnel opened up, the group could see a larger cluster of darkspawn running toward them. Hawke stopped, as the others moved forward, attacking at range, and staying close in order to protect him. They fought with a ferocity that Hawke hardly ever saw, and while the situation was dire, he enjoyed the chance to observe these people that he had gathered together, since he so rarely got the opportunity. He made a mental note to spend time training with them, to better take advantage of their individual skills.

Anders stepped forward, seeing an end to their fight, when an arrow pierced through the head of the last darkspawn from behind, spraying his face with black ichor. He grimaced, wiping the gunk from his face with his sleeve, and glancing up as a small group of men in blue heraldry stepped forward, swords and bows still pointed at them.

"Anders."

Fenris smirked, as the dark haired warden looked at Anders with disdain.

"Uh, fancy meeting you here, Nathaniel," Anders replied sheepishly, though both had yet to lower their weapons.

"I could say the same. I thought you were through with fighting darkspawn."

Anders rolled his eyes, antagonizing the warden, and Fenris felt a sudden kinship with the man, as he constantly felt the same around the healer. "I'm not here to fight darkspawn Nathaniel, I came looking for you."

The taller warden looked over at Nathaniel with a cheeky grin. "Soooo… this is the mage who was thought to be dead, only to show up to steal your maps?" he asked Nathaniel.

"Anders," Nathaniel spoke, a smirk on his own face, "this is Alistair, the Warden Constable. Alistair, Anders." he introduced them, finally lowering his bow.

Anders paled, and stepped back, muttering "Maker's breath," and Fenris and Isabela both stepped up to his sides, weapons out. Varric gave them speculative looks, while Merrill looked confused.

"Relax," Hawke said, as he brought his brother forward. "I know we are not always successful, but we try to not fight with allies… usually."

Nathaniel didn't reply to this comment, instead taking in Carver, and turning to Anders. "You mean this boy as a recruit, don't you," he said, not really asking. He shook his head, glaring at Anders. "That is no kindness." He turned to address Hawke. "I'm sorry, I know it is no consolation, but we do not recruit Grey Wardens out of pity."

"No pity required," Hawke shot back with a smirk. "Carver is an excellent warrior, and you would gain much by recruiting him."

"Now he compliments me," Carver muttered, and several of them smiled, including Alistair, but Nathaniel wasn't budging.

"Regardless, we cannot."

Anders sighed, and stepped forward again. "If my word is worth anything to you Nathaniel, this one is worth your time."

"How could it be?!" Nathaniel demanded as he rounded on Anders. "You still treat it all as a simple thing, easily ignored."

Alistair placed a hand on his arm, and he calmed, his face a mask again. "It is true," Alistair said to the group. "Joining the Wardens may be as much a death sentence as the sickness."

Hawke looked to Anders, unsure of what to say to convince them. "He's my brother. I can't just watch him die."

Alistair looked away, but Nathaniel didn't move, __stoic as always__ Anders thought.

"He'll die anyway," Anders said, as much pleading as he could muster. "Take him and try… I'm… asking you."

Nathaniel's eyebrow winged up at that, and he looked at Anders as if trying to decipher his words. He glanced over to Alistair, and received a nod, then sighed.

"You may regret this," he warned. "You may end up never seeing him again."

Hawke looked down, feeling as if there was no good choice here. "You sure about this?" Carver asked.

"No… but I want you to live,"Hawke replied.

"If he comes, he comes now," Nathaniel said, not enjoying feeling like he was ripping brothers apart. __Damn the blight, and all those who started it,__ he thought, though not for the first time. "Being a Grey Warden is not a cure, it is a calling."

"Then, this is it," Hawke said, helping Carver over to Alistair.

"Take care of mother," Carver said. "Tell her I don't regret my choice in coming, but her idea to stay was good too." Alistair put his arm around his own shoulders, forcing Carver to the tips of his toes.

"Farewell," Nathaniel said, and Carver repeated it, as they turned around. "We'll have to hurry men," he called to the others with him. "We need to make the surface as soon as possible."

Hawke and his friends stood and watched, even after the Wardens were out of sight, and until they could no longer hear them.

"Shouldn't we have just gone with them to the surface?" Merrill asked, breaking the silence.

"They will most likely exit somewhere far from Kirkwall," Anders replied, then turned to Hawke. "I'm so sorry, Hawke," he began, but Hawke shook his head, and he fell silent.

"Thank you Anders. I don't know what will happen, but this way I have hope." Hawke glanced back to the tunnel the Wardens disappeared into, then finally back to his friends. "Let's go home," he said quietly.

The mood was much less desperate now, even Varric's vengeance had cooled enough in the face of Hawke's tragedy. The group stayed close together as the walked on, heading back to Kirkwall, each of them feeling as if they had failed. Hawke would have been appalled to know that they all felt as if they had failed him, because the only failure he could see was his own. __How will I tell Mother?__ he thought in anguish.


	45. Chapter 45- Old Friends, New Warden

Cat looked around the market, "Sebastian? Should we get something to eat for later?" she asked her companion.

"The animals will be able to smell the food on us Cat," he replied. "Some fruit perhaps, nothing cooked."

Cat smiled and headed toward the nearest food stall. Perusing her choices, she settled on a small sack of berries, the vendor letting her sample one before she purchased. They were sweet and slightly tart, reminding her of raspberries back home.

"I've never seen a woman with an appetite such as yours," Sebastian commented. Cat turned to face him, a frown on her face.

"And… no berries for you," she said, trying not to be offended. She knew that he was merely commenting on the difference between her and the noble ladies he was used to. However, she was far more active than that, and was constantly hungry, and didn't feel bad about it.

Sebastian gave her a pout. "I didn't mean it as a slight on you," he said. "Merely an observation."

"Well, think these things through before they escape your mouth," she replied, buying another sack of berries from the vendor anyway. "Is that the kind of thing you would say to one of your previous conquests?"

Sebastian flushed, as Cat knew he would whenever she brought up his lifestyle before he joined the chantry. She appreciated his lack of regret, saying that it had been a rebellious time in his life, and helped him now to relate to others in the chantry. And yet, he would continue to blush whenever she brought it up.

She chuckled as she grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the weapon stands. "I'm only teasing you," she said, and he laughed along with her.

"Just wait," he warned. "I'll get you back for that."

"Oh yeah?" she asked with a smirk. "How do you expect to do that?"

She stopped in front of a stall that had arrows and bolts displayed, and seeing some top quality arrows, she turned to point them out to Sebastian. Before she could say anything, she felt something hit her, knocking the breath from her lungs and taking her to the ground.

Sebastian whirled around at the commotion, shocked to see a huge dog on top of Cat. From his view, it looked like it was tearing into her, and he quickly pulled out his knife, moving in to save her. And then he heard her laughing, which stopped him in his tracks.

"Hafter! Get off me!" She yelled, though she continued to laugh uproariously. Sebastian moved around the pair, and caught a glimpse of her face, grimacing as he noticed that she was being licked and had dog saliva __everywhere.__

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry!" A woman cried as she ran up. Sebastian held up a hand to stop her, giving a smile.

"It's quite all right, it seems they know each other," he said, as Cat was finally able to push Hafter's face away from her own. That didn't keep the dog off of her however, and she had to hold onto his neck to keep him down.

"Blech," Cat said, wiping her face on her sleeve. "I think it went in my mouth," she said with a grimace, looking down at Hafter. Sebastian stifled a laugh as the dog looked suitably chastised, giving Cat a whimper.

"Oh, I can't stay mad at you, and you know it," she said, rubbing his head as he practically sat in her lap. "Are you here alone?" she asked, looking up and around, finally noticing Sebastian and the woman beside him. "Lady Hawke, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," she said, trying to move the dog enough so that she could stand up, which Sebastian thought an impossible task.

Sebastian turned to the woman, "Lady Hawke is it? I'm Sebastian, and it seems you know Cat already?" he asked her. He smiled as she brought her own hand up to cover her mouth, trying not to laugh at Cat's attempts to move around the dog.

"It seems it is not only my children that have a hard time getting around Hafter," she said. "Hafter! Come here!" she said a little more forcefully, and the dog obeyed, though it looked sad to do so. She turned to Sebastian then, her hand outstretched. "Yes, I'm Leandra Hawke. It's a pleasure to meet you Sebastian. And to see you again as well Cat," she said with a beaming smile.

"Whoa," Cat said as she picked up a few of her fallen items, looking slightly unsteady on her feet. "Thank you for that. I knew Hafter and I were friendly, but he's never given me that reception before."

"That's my fault," Leandra explained. "With Garrett and Carver gone, Hafter hasn't gotten out much. This is his first trip out in weeks."

"Oh," Cat said, feeling sorry for him. "I wish I had thought of it sooner, I could have come and taken him out for you," she said with another scratch for his head. "What brings you out today?" she asked.

"I thought I'd fix a nice dinner for Gamlen and myself," Leandra answered. "I thought to wait to celebrate until the boys are back, but with First Day almost here, it seems as good a reason as any."

Cat could see the sorrow and worry in her eyes, and wanted to help reassure her somehow. "It's hard to believe it's already been three months. It feels like it was just Harvestmere yesterday. They'll be back very soon, I'm sure of it."

"Maker, I hope so," she replied. She gave a polite smile and asked, "So what are you and your man up to today?"

"Oh, uh, Sebastian is just a friend," Cat said quickly, seeing Leandra brighten. "We've been practicing our archery, so we thought we'd try our hand at a hunt today."

"Yes," Sebastian added. "Cat is fantastic with her crossbow, so I am sure we'll bring home excellent game." He leaned forward to pet Hafter, and then quickly leaned back when he heard the low growl.

"That sounds nice," Leandra said. "I'll let you go then. Anytime you want to come get Hafter, please do," she said to Cat, taking her hand and patting it. "I'm sure he would love to get out more."

"I'd like that," Cat answered. I'll come for him in the morning," she said, and received a loud bark from Hafter in response, causing the two of them to chuckle.

"Seems he is looking forward to it," Leandra said. "Farewell, until tomorrow!"

"Goodbye!" Cat called, and waved as the two of them left. She turned to Sebastian, "Let's get what we need, and get going," she said.

"Cat! You're hurt! What did that dog do?!" he exclaimed, turning her to peer at her hip. She looked down in confusion, and groaned.

"My berries!" she complained, holding up the smashed sacks that had been tied to her waist.

* * *

Cat walked at an unhurried pace toward the gallows. She was giving Hafter plenty of time to explore as they made their way from the Keep. She smiled as she remembered the look on the guards faces when she showed up this morning with a mabari.

"We're unbeatable!" she crowed, as Hafter came back to her side. "Aren't we boy?" she asked, giving his head a pat as he barked in agreement. "Those guards didn't know what hit them," she added with a chuckle. "I wonder what the templars will make of you," she said.

Hafter let out a small growl and then a whimper, and Cat glanced at him in question. "Oh, I suppose you're not used to being around templars on purpose, are you boy?" she asked. "Well, we're really only coming to see Cullen, not the other ones."

She laughed as Hafter made a noise that sounded disgusted. "Oh, he's not so bad," she said. "He really needs friends though, and besides, he's Ferelden, so he __loves__ dogs."

She glanced down, seeing Hafter rolling his eyes at her. "You know," she said, "you're smarter than most guys back home, or here for that matter." He tilted his head in question, and she felt like laughing again. "Yeah, of all the guys I know, you're the smartest," she said, giving him another scratch.

She laughed as he started strutting, laughing hard enough that she had tears in her eyes. She finally stopped, so that she could get control of herself, and said, "Thanks buddy, I needed that."

They finished their walk into the Gallows courtyard, seeing Cullen talking to a group of templars. She stopped, and said, "let's wait here," which had Hafter stopping as well. "That's him, the blond one in charge," she said quietly. "Remember, we're being nice, right? Not like with Sebastian?" she said with a look at him, and emphasized, "right?" when he bared his teeth.

"This should be interesting," she said quietly.

* * *

Cat hesitated in front of the door, as she could hear the wailing from outside. Hafter was agitated, but she didn't feel right just opening the door, so she knocked. If no one answered, she could always open it after.

The door opened, and Cat was face to face with Gamlen. He looked as surly as always, but there was something else, like grief on his face. Hafter ran in, pushing the man aside, and Cat could see Leandra curled on the floor weeping, with Hawke trying to comfort her.

She thought, __oh no,__ and Hawke's eyes met hers. She was sure her face looked stricken as well, and she wished she could do something. __He looks so… defeated...__ Then the door closed in her face.

 _ _Hawke… Hawke was here, and Carver wasn't…__ she thought. __I've got to talk to Anders.__

She turned, and started running, not hearing the door opening behind her, or her name being called.

* * *

"It looks like he will survive."

"Don't sound so thrilled Nathaniel."

"It's not that I wanted him to die, but I really didn't want Anders to be right."

"Maybe he'll be a horrible Warden and you can kill him later," Alistair said in a sarcastic voice.

"Maybe I will," Nathaniel responded, walking away, with Alistair staring after him.

"I will never understand him," Alistair muttered as the boy started to wake up. "Welcome to the land of the living," he greeted. "Well, tainted living, full of fighting and loss… but hey, it's better than being dead, am I right?"

Carver blinked a few times, wondering how there could possibly be another man in the world like his brother, and if he would have to be around him much.

"Did I hear something about killing me later?" Carver asked.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't take it seriously," Alistair said dismissively. "That's just Nathaniel's way of making friends."

"Right…" Carver replied, as he hauled himself up. "So… now what?"

"Now? We head to the fire and hope there is some food left."

Over the next few weeks, Carver didn't speak much. He enjoyed being with a group of warriors, even if there were mages too, where there were no outlandish expectations. Just killing darkspawn, which he was more than happy to do. He wasn't sure where he fit in yet with this group, so he simply observed, hoping to find his place eventually.

Just as Alistair had said, he __was__ glad to still be alive, even as he discovered that his life was now shorter than he had thought. It could have ended that day in the Deep Roads after all.

After days of walking, he was glad to see the ship. After days of sailing, he had never been so happy to see land. And after days more of walking, he resigned himself to the boredom. It seemed this life wasn't as glorious as the tales had said, but it was his, and that meant something… something he could be proud of.

Now he stood in front of a set of huge stone doors, waiting. He wasn't the most patient man, but felt that it was a skill that would soon be honed with his new status. The fighting was usually short, but the waiting was always long.

The door in front of him opened, and he was waved inside. He strode forward, coming up to a sitting area in front of a desk. At the desk was a dwarf, with short hair and a very long beard that was braided and twisted into a complicated pattern. In front of him, seated, were Alistair and Nathaniel, and he noticed that there was not another place to sit, so he stood to the side of the desk, assuming that the aura of leadership surrounding the dwarf meant that he was in charge.

The dwarf glanced to Alistair, and he spoke. "Duran, this is our newest recruit, Carver Hawke. We picked him up in the Deep Roads near Kirkwall as we mentioned."

Duran turned to look at him, and for the first time, Carver felt like curbing his sarcastic comment.

"So Carver, what were you doing in the Deep Roads? If you were wanting to join the Wardens, there are easier ways."

Carver wasn't sure what the smirk meant, but he tamped down his annoyance. "I was part of an expedition, looking for treasure."

"Really?" Duran replied. "I didn't know there were such foolish people still in the world. The Deep Roads are no place for the ill prepared."

"We were plenty prepared," Carver shot back, only to receive the infuriating smirk again.

"Oh really?" Alistair said. "Then why are you here now?"

"Casualties are to be expected," Carver replied sullenly. "I'm sure he's telling Mother it was my own fault."

"He?"

Carver's eyes lit with anger. "Is this an interrogation then?" he asked. "I had thought I already passed my joining."

"Passionate, and loyal," Duran mused. "Both good qualities."

"Your expedition went in that specific direction due to maps that were taken from the Wardens," Nathaniel spoke up. "We'd like to know what you found."

Carver glanced between the three men. "This isn't going to get anyone in trouble?" he asked, and Duran smiled.

"The Deep Roads are not territory for wardens to protect," he said. "We are merely curious."

Carver nodded, and proceeded to tell them about their time in the Deep Roads. He explained about the thaig, and it's lack of dwarven statues, as well as the creatures they faced. The men stayed quiet, merely nodding as he told them his tale, leaving out anything of his companions and sticking only to the facts of the place.

"This is troubling," Duran said, once he finished. "It seems that Tethras may sell the location to others, and we will have more trying to locate the thaig."

"Undoubtedly," Alistair agreed with him.

"What I don't understand, is why Anders was there!" Nathaniel said angrily. "He wants nothing to do with us, and suddenly he is not only in the Deep Roads, but seeking us out to give us a recruit?!"

"It was a favor."

The three senior Wardens stopped, turning to stare at Carver.

"What?" Duran asked.

"He went to the Deep Roads as a favor," Carver said. "And he tried to save me, because of my brother."

"Your brother must have helped him immensely, for Anders to willingly go into the Deep Roads again," Duran said. "It was something I could never get him to do."

"Well, actually…" Carver hesitated. "That was Cat."

He watched as two of them exchanged looks that he couldn't decipher, and then Duran looked at him and said, "Explain."

It hadn't sounded like a request, so Carver tried his best to be vague. "It was nothing really, our friend Cat, she had a really bad feeling about the expedition, and so she pretty much begged Anders to go. Since he was a Warden, he'd be able to give us some warning about darkspawn being near."

He was more than surprised to see a smile on Duran's face. "Thank you Carver, you're dismissed. Nathaniel, will you show him to his room?" Carver was wondering what he had said that changed the atmosphere of the room, as he turned around and followed Nathaniel back out the doors.

Once the door was shut, Alistair said, "It can't be, can it?"

Duran opened his desk, and pulled out a sheet of paper, handing it over to Alistair. "Read this."

Alistair looked down first at the signature, and gave a sound of surprise before shaking his head and starting to read.

 _ _Warden Commander Duran,__

 _ _I hope this finds you well. I have missed speaking with you and the others for some time now. Do you hear from them at all? Thanks to a mutual friend in the Wardens, I was able to locate where to send this, and felt it was well past time to convey my gratitude, as well as letting you know how I am faring.__

 _ _This past year has been very exciting, and though I am no longer with the Wardens, I still find myself in similar situations, and must conclude that I am a beacon for such things. Those whose care I was entrusted into, have proven to be exemplary teachers, and I hope that when I see you again, you will be proud of my education.__

 _ _If you agree, I would like to continue correspondence, as I plan to be here for the foreseeable future. If you are in touch with any other of our mutual friends, would you be so kind as to pass this information along? I would love to hear from everyone, as I have missed you all terribly. Don't worry, I have not been pining away, but have found new friends, some of whom I have even shared some of our stories with.__

 _ _I heard of your time in Amaranthine, and tried to visit, but was unable to at the time. I have heard of your archer friend, and am excited to meet him as well.__

 _ _Ancestors bless you, and may the Maker watch over the Wardens.__

 _ _Cat__

Alistair glanced up, meeting Duran's face. "It's really her?" he asked. "I thought we'd never see her again," he said with wonder.

"It seems she is cursed to forever be where the commotion is," he replied with a smirk.

"She wants to meet Nathaniel?" Alistair asked. "I don't think I will ever understand the knowledge she possesses."

"There are plenty of things she hints at," Duran said as he took the paper back. "I sent a short reply, as the messenger was waiting, but next time I will ask some questions, to be sure. However the way she doesn't come out and say specifics, or names of the others, makes me curious."

"Do you think there is some enemy we should be aware of?"

"Isn't there always?" Duran replied sardonically. "I don't know," he answered. "After that business with the Architect, I've been wondering what will show up next."

"That's not ominous… at all…" Alistair said glumly. Then straightening, he exclaimed, "Wait, so those people we met in the Deep Roads, were her new friends?"

Nathaniel walked back in at that moment, coming forward and sitting down. Duran handed over the note, and let him read it, his eyebrows raised as he got to the final part. "This is the girl you were telling me about before?" he asked.

"The same," he replied. "I've told him everything once I received this," Duran explained to Alistair. "If anything were to happen to me, I needed him to be able to continue communication with Cat."

"It's still hard to swallow," Nathaniel said with a grimace.

"And yet, true," Alistair responded. "Don't worry, it still doesn't make sense, even after all this time."

"Very reassuring," Nathaniel said dryly.

"It seems likely that she is now with the group you met in the Deep Roads," Duran said to them with a smile. "What can you tell me about them?"

* * *

Cat was exhausted, physically, mentally… everything. Spending the last couple of hours with Anders, had her apologizing over and over for asking him to go, but he shook it off each time, saying that Carver would be dead now if he hadn't.

He told her of the Wardens, and how afraid he had been that they would take him too. She hugged him and comforted him, finally helping Olivia get him to bed. Cat warned her that he would most likely wake up with nightmares after being in the Deep Roads for so long, and then had taken her leave.

She had headed home, hoping to see Isabela, but after a quick glance inside, turned around and headed to the Hanged Man. It was Isabela's go to bar, now that they were part of Hawke's group. As she entered, she glanced around, but didn't find her anywhere. She started up towards Varric's room and knocked on the door before wincing, hoping that she wasn't pulling him out of bed.

Her hopes were dashed as Varric answered the door in only his trousers, and Cat flushed in embarrassment. Varric just smirked, and beckoned her inside.

"Good to see your face again Little Dove," he said as he closed the door behind her. "There were a few times there that I wondered if I would."

"Yeah, I've been at Anders', so I've heard most of it. Sorry about your brother, by the way." Cat found a seat, and relaxed.

"Meh," he replied. "No one's fault but his own."

"True. Still stinks though," she said. "And about Carver too."

"Well, we're still hoping he's alive, but I guess we'll find out sooner or later. For all intents and purposes though, he's gone, which will be hard for Hawke to tell his mother."

Cat frowned, remembering the scene she saw at Hawke's home. She wished she could forget the look on his face, but knew she'd remember it for a long time.

"Well, once I heard everyone was back, I figured I'd say hello, and check on you," she said with a smile. "I didn't mean to pull you out of bed."

"No one pulls me out of bed," Varric smirked. "I just hadn't gotten in yet."

Cat smiled back, shaking her head. "Now that sound like a challenge, Varric. You know I can't resist a challenge."

"True, I should watch it, otherwise you'll be in here waking me up every morning." Cat stood, heading towards the door.

"Sleep well Varric," she said.

"It wasn't for nothing, you know."

She stopped and turned back. His face was sad, and it seemed as if he was trying to convince himself.

"Once I sell the items we brought back, we'll be rich. Don't think I forgot your investment," he said with a forced smile. "At least something positive will have come from this."

She smiled back, and said another good night, before pulling the door closed behind her.

This time, she headed home, and stayed there. Isabela would eventually come back after all. Perhaps she had simply missed her.

* * *

The knock on the door had Cat jumping out of bed ready for a fight. She peered around cautiously, before hearing the knock again, and muttering to herself about being paranoid, went to answer it. She looked over, noting that Isabela's bed was still empty, and wondered where she was.

She pulled open the door, surprised.

"Hawke?" she asked, as his eyes travelled down from her face, his eyebrow raising and a smile blooming. She looked down, remembering that she hadn't put pants on, and her sleep shirt ended at her hips. She flushed, shutting the door quickly, and leaning against it, willing her face to fade back to its normal color.

The knock sounded again on the door, and she pulled herself together. "Just a second!" she yelled, rushing over to find her lounging pants where she had dropped them by her bed, and pushing her feet into them. In her haste, she started moving before they were up, and toppled over onto the ground with a yell.

"Cat? You all right in there?" she could hear Hawke say through the door, and practically snarled at the amusement in his voice. __But,__ she told herself, __that was better than the look he had when I saw him last night.__

She finally situated herself, and returned to open the door. "Yes, everything is fine," she said, the picture of calm and collected.

He smirked at her, "No need to get dressed on my account," he said, and she rolled her eyes.

"Isabela's not here, and I'm not sure where she is," she said, changing the subject quickly.

"That's not why I came, though she did say something yesterday about following up with some contacts. We were gone longer than we expected."

"Yeah," she replied, uncertain of what to say.

"I just wanted to come say, thank you."

She looked up at him, confused. "For what?" she asked.

He didn't meet her eye, and searched for what he wanted to say. "For… Carver. I assume you heard?"

She nodded, but he wasn't looking at her, so she answered - but it came out as a whisper. _"_ _ _Yes."__

"If Anders hadn't been there… if you hadn't…" he stopped, clearing his throat. "Carver would be dead right now. I don't know where he is, and I don't know if I'll see him again, but he knows now, that I care, that we're brothers- always." He slowly looked up, into her eyes. "When those wardens took him away, all I could think of, was that I would have had to watch him die…" he closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead.

Cat looked at him in sorrow. __Here he was, trying to be a good brother to a man who didn't appreciate it, coming home after a traumatic experience where he essentially lost another sibling, only to take the blame, as well as comfort those around him. But who will comfort him?__ she thought.

She didn't hesitate after that, just moved forward under his arms, and put hers around him moved her hands in circles over his back. "I'm so sorry Garrett," she said softly. She kept murmuring words of comfort as she moved her hands, keeping both soft and slow in an effort to stay calm. She found that she was more angry than anything- angry at the people in his life that couldn't see what he needed. __He couldn't always be the strong one... who could?__

She continued as she felt his arms around her, one hand at the small of her back and the other moving up into her hair and simply holding on. She could feel him tremble, but he didn't cry, he just let himself relax and let go. As their cheeks were pressed together, she could hear when his breathing calmed, and the very faint, "thank you."

Then as if she had dreamed it all, he stepped back and gave her a smirk. "Meeting at the Hanged Man in about an hour to make future plans. Perhaps you should wear pants."


	46. Chapter 46- I'm Fine, How Are You?

Cat walked into the Hanged Man, excited to see everyone together again. Her excitement didn't last long when she found she had beaten everyone there. Looking around, she didn't even see Varric, so she went and knocked on his door.

"Little Dove," he nodded to her as he opened the door. "Eager are we?" he asked with a wink.

"That's one way to put it," she said with a smile, as they made their way back to the common room. "You have no idea how much I've missed everyone! And I haven't seen Fenris or even Issy yet!"

He looked startled for a moment, and turned to return to his room. She turned and stood at the foot of the stairs, looking back in confusion, unsure if she should follow him or not. He returned quickly, holding out a few papers for her.

"I almost forgot," he said as she took them. He guided her to a large table in front of the fireplace in order to ward off the chill in the air. Kirkwall didn't get as cold as other areas of Thedas, but in comparison to the summer months, Wintermarch could be fairly chilly.

Looking at the first paper, Cat saw that it was a note from Isabela, explaining that she wasn't coming back to Kirkwall just yet.

"What happened?" Cat asked Varric, looking up from the note.

"When, in the Deep Roads?" he asked.

"To Issy," she clarified.

"Oh, well, none of us were sure, but she started acting strangely after we came back to the surface. Then, the next day, she gave me that note for you, and headed off on her own, saying she'd catch up with us sooner or later."

"That's it?" Cat asked.

"Yeah, sorry."

"No problem," Cat said.

"And yet, you seem worried," he commented, making her look up from the paper. He sat at the head of the table, and she took the seat to his left, wanting to be near the fire.

"I'm hoping nothing spooked her," Cat said, finally answering him. "She seems more desperate about finding a clue to the relic than she was before."

"No one likes having something hanging over their head," he said with a shrug. "She most likely wants to do something about it, now that we have a lull in jobs."

"Do we?" she asked curiously. "When Hawke stopped by to tell me about the meeting, he made it sound like we'd be discovering his new schedule for our lives," she smirked.

He replied in kind. "Well, you know Hawke. Idle hands and all that…"

She put Isabela's note down, and opened the other paper. And then squealed with delight, causing Varric to grin at her.

 _"_ _ _It's from Duran!"__ she whispered excitedly.

Varric leaned in, hoping she'd share more. "And?" he asked quietly.

"It's very short, but he says he'll write again. He didn't want the messenger to have to wait too long, and his other senior wardens are gone on a mission, so he's got a lot filling his time at the moment. But he says we have a lot to catch up on, and he has plenty of questions for me… and basically he's just really happy that I'm okay." She sighed, holding the letter to her chest. "It's so good to hear from him. I knew I missed him, well, all of them really… but I didn't know how much until right now."

He reached out and covered his other hand with his own, giving it a squeeze. "It's nice to know there are other good dwarves out there," he said with a smile.

"And to think," she said with a smirk. "the poor dwarves in Orzammar are stuck with his… nug-humping brother."

He chuckled at her attempt at cursing, then something clicked in his mind. "Ah, now it makes sense, back on the docks that day."

"Yeah," she answered, remembering her rant about Bhelen. "Duran doesn't talk of it much, but he didn't really want to be the king anyway. In fact, he helped put Bhelen on the throne. He has the ability to let go of the smaller things and look at the big picture, which can be down right annoying." She paused as Varric chuckled again. "But… it also makes him a great leader. The Wardens are lucky to have him."

She got lost in her own thoughts for a moment, then leaned forward a bit. She knew she could always talk about the others with Fenris, or Anders, or even Isabela, but she wanted to talk more about the person who basically saved her life.

"There was one time…" she started, and Varric's eyes lit with curiosity even as he grinned.

* * *

Cat walked quickly to Hightown, looking all around her as she went. She thought perhaps she would run into Fenris on his way to Lowtown, but didn't. Varric told her not to worry, that more than likely something had come up with Hawke, and he hadn't had a chance to tell the others, but she needed to make sure her friends were all right.

She pushed open the door in her haste, and called out, "Fenris?! FENRIS!?"

She breathed a sigh of relief as he came out of his room onto the balcony, his eyes wide. She tried to calm her racing heart, closing her eyes and focusing on slowing her breath. When she opened them again, he was in front of her, grabbing her shoulders, and looking at her in concern.

"Cat?" he asked. "Are you all right?"

She smiled, and moved in for a hug. "I am now," she replied, relieved. She pushed back suddenly, and demanded, "Where have you been?! I was so worried!"

"Uh… what?" he asked, confused. "I wasn't aware of having plans, in fact I tried to find you yesterday to let you know we were home, but I must have missed you."

"Hawke didn't tell you to meet at the Hanged Man today?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"I haven't seen Hawke since we returned."

"Oh… uh, sorry then." She felt embarrassed for not listening to Varric, and letting herself get all worked up. "Hawke stopped by this morning to say we were meeting, and no one showed, not even Hawke. It had me worried."

He chuckled then, and ruffled her hair. "It's good to see you too."

She pushed his hand away. "Don't do that! Now I have to re-braid it." She pulled the piece of leather free from the bottom, and combed her hair out with her fingers, and started to braid it again.

"I missed you."

She stopped, looking up at him. "I'm so glad you're okay," she responded. "You all were gone much longer than I thought."

"How much of that could you have prevented?" he asked her, causing her to look away, focusing on finishing her hair, wrapping the leather tie around the end. "Cat?" he asked.

"Probably most of it," she answered.

"But you felt it was necessary for it to happen?" he asked in disbelief.

"There's something… big. Years from now. At the time, things happen almost by accident, and… I don't know."

"No, please… tell me."

Cat looked up at Fenris again, wondering what she should do. "I don't know if the Maker had a hand in things or not."

"What?" he asked, surprised.

"There are a lot of factors that come together, and at one point, there is a single person that is the only hope of saving all of Thedas."

His eyebrow winged up, but he remained silent.

"I'm worried, that if I stop some of those factors now, that I will prevent that hope as well, leaving Thedas in ruins. I don't know if there really is a Maker… if there is someone that will ensure that that hope still remains, so I feel like I must."

"I… see. This burden is even larger than you originally implied," he said, and she nodded miserably. "Won't you share it with me?" he asked, and she looked at him in surprise, before shaking her head slowly.

"Not today," she answered. "Perhaps at some point, but if anything were to happen to me, then things would progress as they should. I am the extra factor, the thing that is changing the story from what it would be."

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing," he said. "You think I can't read between the lines?" he asked, and she looked at him in question. He gave her a look, and explained. "You continuously glaze over what you knew of me before," he said, and she was taken aback. "Obviously it was not complimentary."

"No, that's not…" she trailed off, and he chuckled. "I am quick to judge and slow to trust," he said with a no apology, and a shrug. "I can only imagine what my life would be like without you in it."

"Oh… but I haven't done anything…" she protested, worrying about this new thought.

"If anything, I don't know that I would even be able to work with Hawke, let alone working with the healer,"he commented dryly. "I would definitely call him something else," he added, which had her laughing.

"It seems I cannot help but change things," she said disparagingly.

"And again, it is not a __bad thing,__ " he emphasized. "Things could always change for the better, could they not?"

"You know… I think you've changed me too," she said with a smile.

"Oh?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I never really liked wine before I met you," she said with a smirk, and he laughed.

"See?" he said, leading her to the kitchen. "We've both been changed for the better. Though, if you wanted to clean my house, you didn't have to wait until I left town."

"Well, I wasn't sure if you were going to agree. Better to ask forgiveness, than permission after all."

"So you want my forgiveness then?" he asked.

"No way, this place looks a thousand times better," she grinned at him. "So much more welcoming."

"Ah, so that's it. You think I should welcome others more."

"No, actually. I just wanted to feel more welcome when I'm here."

He laughed aloud at that. "So really, you did this for yourself then?" he laughed again, as he realized he should have known. After all, his room hadn't been touched.

"And what's wrong with that?" she asked disdainfully, feeling insulted.

"Absolutely nothing," he answered. "So, would you like some wine?"

* * *

Drakonis 9:32, Dragon

Lady Catarina,

Please feel free to take your time with a response, my letter carrier will be in town for several days. I am sorry to have missed you, when we were so close to Kirkwall, however I am eternally grateful that you were not among your friends in the Deep Roads. I wish we could explain the dangers of broodmothers to all people, but fear that it would not help.

I was surprised to return home and find that you had written. Duran let me read your letter, and as he, I was very glad to hear that you have been safe, and well taken care of. I have missed all our former companions, but from what our newest Warden has told me, you seem like an entirely new person. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to see you again.

We have heard much about your new companions, though I sense that this Garrett fellow must have his hands full, if I am to take young Carver's words at face value. Some of his stories reminded me of our time traveling Ferelden against the blight. I know I shouldn't miss those times, and I don't miss the blight, I promise! But I do miss the companionship.

Will you tell us of how you are faring? We hear strange things from the Marches, and of course we Wardens cannot get involved, but it is always good to be informed as well. And of course, anything you learn… or hear… that we should know, please pass along as well. Duran has been interested in learning more about the Wardens, we know so very little after all, and now we are basically on our own.

We have kept in contact with the others mainly due to Leliana. I haven't the space to write it all, but know that they are doing well, and find themselves on personal quests of sorts.

I look forward to your response!

Your friend, Alistair

p.s. Enclosed is a letter for Anders from Nathaniel. Are you sure you want to meet him?

* * *

Anders-

Duran asked that I let you know that your friend survived, and is now a junior member of the Grey Wardens. He knows next to nothing, and acts like a spoiled, pampered princess. And yet, is still a better Warden than you are. Consider your favor done, and now you owe me one.

\- Nathaniel

 _p.s. Anders, please help take care of Cat for me, though I am sure you are. She's basically family, and missed, just as you are. - Duran_

* * *

Cloudreach 9:32

Mother-

I'm sorry, there isn't much time to write. But the Warden Commander heard that I was presumed dead, so he insisted that I write and let you know that is not the case. I'm sorry that I can't be there to look after you, but Garrett was always better at that anyway.

While this isn't the life I went looking for, there is something that makes me proud, serving all of Thedas as a Warden, without thought of recognition. I will make you proud someday, I'll be the best Warden there is.

Even though I cannot keep in touch, I'm glad you still have Garrett. Father and Bethany would be happy about that too I think, they wouldn't want you alone. One day, Maker only knows when, we'll all be together, and we'll see each other again. Until then, take care, and think of me.

\- Carver

* * *

Solace 9:42

My friends-

I wish I had known you would have met with my crew here, I would have been sorely tempted to have gone on the expedition. No, that is a lie, but I would have written a letter at least. To be honest, I was expecting Warden Stroud, but that is not important now.

Kirkwall is strangely quiet now, but it seems as if it is the calm before the storm. There are a group of Qunari that crashed their ship on our shore, and are waiting for another sent from Par Vollen. The people of the city grow tired of having them, and the Qunari grow tired of being here, and tensions are rising. How long does a ship take to arrive?

I am faring well, the city has been rather kind to Isabela and I, for the most part. We arrived here after being caught in a storm, and her ship… was lost, along with most of the crew. She has fulfilled her promise and then some, becoming not only a protector, but a cherished friend as well.

Anders has been an exceptional friend as well, and while he wouldn't appreciate my saying this, he is sorry that he has disappointed Nathaniel. I think he enjoyed the time he spent with you, commander, but there is much that he wishes to accomplish, now especially. that it is not only his own desires he seeks to attain.

He runs clinic here in the city, helping others with no thought of payment, almost as if he were seeking to do good to outweigh the bad. I don't always understand his reasons, but I help where I can.

I should probably mention, there have been a few encounters now with Flemeth. First, she helped Hawke's family escape Lothering before it was destroyed. In return, she had Hawke deliver an amulet to a mountain here in the Marches. When we brought the amulet to the correct location, Flemeth appeared, having been smuggled out without him even knowing he was carrying her.

I realize that this may or may not cause you alarm, as I am not certain what your choice for her fate had been. But let me add, that I was severely wounded, and she healed me, asking nothing in return. It was strange, and I still am uncertain why, but I feel that she will not only NOT cause problems, but will not be able to be found, even if you went looking.

At some point, you may find a way to find Morrigan, and I ask that you not tell her about Flemeth. Trust me on this.

The rest of the crew are people that Hawke has helped, and in return, helped him with his expedition. Now however, we are all friends, and I don't think they would leave him, unless they had to.

\- Cat

* * *

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Obviously, I'm asking for your opinion," Alistair sighed, rolling his eyes at Nathaniel.

"I… don't know. There are too many things that don't make sense. Yes, you've told me the stories," he said quickly, before Alistair could interrupt. "But it isn't the same as going through it."

"True, but you can't deny…"

"No, I cannot."

"I'm sorry if this is becoming a burden Nathaniel," Duran said, finally speaking.

"It's… not a burden commander, more, trying to make my mind think a different way than it is used to." He shook his head, as if that would help. "It can be exhausting, but eventually, it will become easier. I am still trying to wrap my head around how she knows Stroud."

Duran smirked, enjoying the contrast between his two friends. Alistair, so trusting, and always smiling or joking. And Nathaniel, usually frowning, sometimes doubting and always serious. But for all their differences they were remarkably similar.

"What's that look for?" Alistair asked, and Duran was brought out of his thoughts.

"Just thinking how much you two are alike," Duran said, knowing the reaction he would receive. He smirked as they looked at each other, then him in disbelief. "Following your duty no matter the cost, extremely loyal and trustworthy friends, and exceptional leaders. I don't know how I would do this without either of you."

He laughed as they both flushed slightly at his praise, noticing that they avoided his eyes, as they searched for words.

"This letter has helped me some," he said, putting them at ease by getting back to their previous conversation. "First, Cat is not one to exaggerate, so things in Kirkwall, while escalating, are not at a crucial point yet. We still have time to investigate."

They nodded and he continued. "Secondly, it is nice to have confirmation of what we already suspected. She didn't know that we let Flemeth go, but it sounds like she wouldn't have been gone, even if we were successful in killing her. This also tells us, that while Flemeth is smart, and powerful, she cannot see the future, otherwise, why have this contingency plan?"

"Oh, that's true…" Alistair mumbled.

"And third, Cat once again, knows more than she is telling."

They looked up at him in question.

"I had yet to inform you of my decision, but I'm leaving for a time."

"What?" they asked in unison.

"I got a lead on Morrigan's whereabouts, and I'm going to follow up on it. And, if I'm able, I'm going to see my child."


	47. Chapter 47- Time Flies By

Leliana shook her head as she easily deciphered the letter. Duran was more than capable of a decent cipher, but it seemed he didn't see the need for secrecy, or he just didn't care who read it. However, after over a year of correspondence, there was no indication that someone was trying to intercept. __But as the Revered Mother said, one could never be too careful,__ she thought.

Looking at the date at the top, she realized it had taken over six months for her to receive this letter, which told her that she had just missed it when she had left. Looking down, she re-read the letter.

 _ _Drakonis 9:32 Dragon__

 _ _Sister Nightingale-__

 _ _Hopefully you receive this in a timely manner, as I am aware that you are continuing to lead the research and expedition teams to Haven. Alistair has told me that the ashes, nor the guardian have been located, almost as if they did not exist. I wish I could assist in some way, but you know as well as I that we left everything intact.__

 _ _I appreciate the work you've done, obviously your previous skills are convenient in your new position. It was good to hear that Sten found his way home, and that Zev is still alive, and causing trouble for his former friends.__

 _ _I also have some news to share, though knowing your connections, you may already have heard. We have received some information on our lost friends. Cat is currently residing in the Free Marches, having found friends in Kirkwall. We have started writing, and she asked that the others be told so that she may be able to write to everyone.__

 _ _Morrigan, on the other hand, still eludes us, though I have found some information. I am looking into it now, and will let you know what I discover. However, I must add that I feel she is simply trying to hide. If her plans were sinister as you fear, I feel we would hear nothing of her.__

 _ _I will continue to follow this through, so if you need anything, Alistair and Nathaniel now know everything. Contact them through our usual means, though I would caution to not use your most difficult ciphers, if you want a response that is.__

 _ _-Duran__

Leliana sighed again. __Morrigan,__ she thought. __A source of contention between her and the Warden even before the blight was ended.__

Though she worried about the witch's intentions, she knew she could do nothing about it in the meantime, so she focused on the happier news. She had been surprised and delighted to hear that Cat was not only safe, but wanting to stay in touch, and had quickly written a letter to her.

The letter was much longer than her normal notes, but she had known that Cat would want news of everyone. She was now eagerly waiting a response, uncertain of how much Cat would be able to glean from her message.

* * *

"This will be the best Satinalia yet!"

Cat glanced over, hearing the child nearby yell out in excitement. Next to her, Aveline chuckled.

"Oh, to be young again," she murmured with a half smile.

"I don't know," Cat answered with a smirk. "though everything __was__ much simpler then, I doubt I'd be smart enough to fix my mistakes if given a second chance."

Aveline glanced at her. Though she heard her teasing tone, she could feel that she meant her words.

"But, our mistakes make us who we are, do they not?" She responded, seeing Cat nod. They continued on to the next stall, glancing around at the offerings. "Who decided that we were in charge of the food anyway?" she asked suddenly. "I have no idea what we should be getting."

Cat laughed heartily. "That makes two of us, and I believe it was Leandra. Though, can you imagine any of the others doing this either?"

"I suppose not," she groused. "We'd end up __drinking__ our Satinalia dinner if they were involved."

"Besides," Cat added. "We don't get to spend much time together, just the two of us. This is nice."

"Speaking of…"

Cat glanced over, noting the uncomfortable expression on Aveline's face. She smiled, as only one subject ever seemed to give her that look.

"Yeeeees?" she asked playfully.

"Ugh, why do I bother?"

Cat laughed again, enjoying the torment a moment longer then gave in. "What did you want to know?" she asked.

"It's been a long time… have you… done anything? About him?"

Cat gestured with her head, and they continued to walk, finding a shady place to sit for a few minutes. "Actually I think I've successfully gotten him into the friend zone."

"The what?"

"Oh, um, an expression from back home. Basically where a man, or woman, becomes such a good friend, that you can longer picture them being anything but a friend."

"I see… I think."

She smiled, "well, basically, could you imagine ever being in an intimate situation with… well, any of our friends?"

Aveline's face twisted, and Cat laughed again. "And if one were to try and flirt with you suddenly, and you had to let him down, you'd probably say something along the line of, __I see you as a friend…"__ she said.

"Ah…" Aveline's eyes lit in understanding. "So in order to not have to deal with said man, you've worked hard to see him as such a friend, so there will no longer be an issue."

"Exactly!" Cat grinned.

"Your mind works in such interesting ways," Aveline commented. "And not just with men," she added. "Watching you spar with the guards, it is apparent also. I would have thought that eventually you would run out of tricks, yet each time you surprise me with what you come up with."

"What can I say? I play to win!" Cat said with a grin, though her cheeks were pink at the unexpected compliment.

"And it shows. You would be welcomed in the guard at any time, should you choose to."

"Thanks Aveline," Cat said with a smile. She knew what a compliment that was. "It's nice to have something to fall back on, just in case." She looked over, and decided now was as good a time as any. "How does your own man troubles fare?" she asked.

"Ugh… I have gotten nowhere,"she replied. "Though now, I worry that perhaps I have put myself into this friend zone, as you say."

"Even if that were true, that is not always the end," Cat said. "Some people prefer to have friendship first, and let love grow from that."

"That… is true…" Aveline said, a new spark of hope on her face.

"Come on," Cat said as she stood back up. "We'd better get on with this, or no one will be feasting tonight."

"It's hard to believe that after all this waiting, Hawke managed to get his family home returned to them," Aveline commented as they stood, and walked back to the bustling market.

"Yes, Leandra has been almost camped out at the Viscount's door all of the last month."

"Sad, that it came down to money, but such is life," Aveline said.

"It's a very nice home, though we only managed to get the kitchen and dining room ready."

"I'm sure Leandra has appreciated your help," Aveline said. "And the fact that you brought others along."

"Anders and Olivia knew of several refugees that needed a way to earn some money, so it wasn't too difficult. Besides that, it created some good will for the Hawkes. They won't be seen as all the other rich people in Hightown now."

"If they continue to spread that good will, they will most likely avoid being the target of thieves as well," Aveline said with a nod. "Which in turn makes my life easier."

"Knowing Leandra, she'll have that house just as she wants it by Wintersend," Cat said with a smile, and Aveline nodded as they continued to pick out what they needed for their dinner tonight.

* * *

 _ _Z-__

 _ _You have been out of touch for some time now, but I am pleased you wrote, as I have been waiting to share that your dove was found. I'm sure she will be excited to see you again.__

 _ _\- L__

* * *

 _ _L-__

 _ _And you are just now telling me? I must wrap up some business, but am anxious for a reunion! Unless I am needed now? And what about D?__

 _ _-Z__

* * *

 _ _Z-__

 _ _It is not time sensitive. He is on a trip, but has already begun correspondence. You can do the same.__

 _ _-L__

* * *

 _ _Wintermarch 9:33 Dragon__

 _ _Leliana-__

 _ _Thank you for writing, and for your concern! I am most pleased that you are well, and while there can be foul days as well as fair, I am more than happy to be where I am. Isabela and I have modest accommodations, and I deliver medicines for the local healer, in order to provide our living.__

 _ _I have been blessed by the Maker to have found such a group of friends as these, and surely that must make me twice blessed, since I have also you and the others in Ferelden.__

 _ _Leli, that's literally all I can do. If someone is truly reading this letter, they must be bored, for I surely am in the writing of it! I must admit that yours was difficult to get through as well, with all your double meanings- - you my friend, are excellent in saying many things in a single sentence!__

 _ _I was delighted to receive your letter however, and was hopefully able to glean all from it's words. You have made me so happy by knowing what is befalling our friends, and was only disappointed in your lack of knowledge concerning Zev. Though, if I interpreted correctly, he is waging war single-handedly from the shadows, so I can hardly complain about the lack of news!__

 _ _Kirkwall is an interesting and sad city, full of strife and turmoil for most. The mages here are probably the worst treated circle in all of Thedas! And between them pulling at the yoke of the templars, and the Qunari warriors that are stuck here- intimidating and frightening the citizens, daily life can be trying at best.__

 _ _Through all that, though… I am happy, and I have friends to thank for that. There are so many similarities between this crew and the previous, with close friendships, skilled warriors, and a bond that not many ever have a chance at finding, while I am lucky enough for twice!__

 _ _While I am lucky to have the little home I do, I have begun searching for bigger accommodations. Isabela has been searching far and wide for a way to purchase a new ship- as we were in a terrible storm and lost the previous one. My job keeps me close to home, and so have found myself alone for almost a year. It is a far cry from having a small room on a ship full of crew, and between the others here and the letters, I have staved off most of the loneliness.__

 _ _I can't say that I am not busy however, by spending time with all those I care about here, I find myself training and sparring several hours of each day, working on my literary skills (hopefully there are not many mistakes and this is legible!), or helping in the clinic, (two friends remind me much of Wynne and her desire to help others with her healing skills). I think even you would be surprised at the group of friends I have managed to find here- believe me… it rivals our own in diversity.__

 _ _There is so much I want to tell you that cannot fit into a letter, but hopefully at some point we will see each other again, and be able to share the adventures we had had since our parting. Stay safe my friend, and be happy.__

 _ _\- Cat__

* * *

Cat moaned, laying her head on the table in the tavern, and instantly regretting it. __Who knew what was on here?__

"Cat?"

She raised her head, and glanced with a weary look over at Varric.

"You okay there, little dove?" he asked.

"Just tired," she replied, as Fenris walked over and sat across from her, sliding the drink he had gotten her over.

"Do not think that will get you out of training tomorrow," he said in a quiet voice, and she rolled her eyes at his teasing.

"Not that kind of tired, though do not mistake, I could easily go to bed right now…" she broke off and took a drink of her wine, and then sighed. "It's this blasted city. I feel like I can't go anywhere without hearing about mages and templars, or Qunari! And no one is trying to make anything better, they just want to push their own opinions at me!"

Fenris and Varric exchanged a look at her outburst. "What happened? This just isn't like you," Fenris asked.

"Sorry," she replied, deflated a little. "It just has seemed to be piling on and adding up. Between Anders and Olivia, trying to convince me of their views, Cullen has been more and more vocal of his stance, and we can't have a visit without hearing about the dangers of mages and magic. And now Sebastian took me to meet the Grand Cleric, and all everyone in the chantry talked of was mages and Qunari. I even saw that horrible sister that tricked us into taking Ketojan out of the city. Needless to say, it was not a pleasant experience."

"Sounds pretty awful all right," Varric agreed. "But it sounds to me like you need a subject change."

"Yes, please," Cat replied with a small smile, taking another sip of her drink. She glanced at Fenris, pointedly looking between her small glass, and the bottle he had brought back for himself.

"What?" he asked with a smirk. "I'm thirstier than you are."

She rolled her eyes, as Varric turned and started a conversation about money. He was continuing to hold a good sum for her, re-investing and making it even larger, and she had yet to decide what to do with it.

"You're not Hawke rich, but you have a good sized amount," Varric continued. "Have you given any thought to what you want to do with it?" he asked her.

"Some, yes," she replied. "At some point I want to find a bigger home, but I've been waiting for Issy to return to talk about it. I know she's partial to Lowtown, which is fine with me, but we're getting to the point where we can no longer fit in the shack."

He nodded, "I thought you were going to speak with her last time she came back," he said.

"I was, yes, but she wasn't here very long at all, and spent most of the time here drinking, or with Hawke."

"Yeah," he replied. "He told me after that he had helped her run down a few leads that were avoiding her."

Cat rolled her eyes again. "Maker forbid she let me help," she grumbled. The two gave her looks of sympathy, but said nothing, so she returned to the original topic. "Otherwise I have been thinking of helping those who have helped me… investing in either the Rose, or the clinic… or both."

Varric nodded. "Though I wouldn't suggest putting all of it in, the Rose would be a good investment. Low costs, high profits… definitely a good choice. The clinic however, would be considered a charity rather than an investment. They don't get paid after all."

"True," she agreed. "But they do take in money for the medicines we deliver to the Rose… perhaps we can offer other varieties at the clinic for purchase or something. After all, it would help the overall condition of the area if the people were healthier."

"Letting people know that such things are readily available at the clinic would cause more thieves to present themselves, as well as the likelihood of the templars finding out about the healers there," Fenris commented.

"He's right, I'm afraid, but I wouldn't discount the idea. It may be something to speak to the Madam of the Rose about. After all, she already offers drinks in her establishment," Varric added.

"Hmm," she mused at the thought. "Perhaps I'll speak to Anders first to get an idea of what could be offered."

"Good plan," Varric agreed, and quickly changed the subject to his new favorite, asking Cat to tell him another story.

* * *

"Good morning Cat," Leandra said as she opened the door.

"Good morning, Lady Hawke."

"Catarina, what have we agreed on?"

"Good morning, Leandra," Cat amended with a shrug.

"That's better," the older woman opened the door wider, and gestured her inside the mansion.

"It's really coming together," Cat complimented as she looked up at the newest addition of a large chandelier in the front room.

"Yes, I could not be happier," Leandra said with a smile. "Garrett has been too good to me, putting up with all my ideas for this place.

"You deserve nothing but the best,"Hawke said, joining the conversation as he entered the room. He looked at Cat with a smile, and bellowed out, "HAFTER!"

The barking in reply was excited, as the mabari raced down the stairs, and practically took Cat down in trying to jump up to lick her face, causing her to laugh.

"Down boy!" Cat managed to get out in between laughs. Hafter then rolled onto his back, wanting to complete the ritual with a belly rub, which Cat didn't deny him.

"You know, I'm starting to think that Hafter is your mabari, and I just let him stay here," Hawke said with a smirk.

Leandra joined in Cat's laughter as Hafter took offense to the comment, and jumped on Hawke, licking wherever he could.

"Hafter… no!" Hawke said, trying in vain to not get roped into another wrestling match. Finally he conceded defeat, by saying, "Is this how he helps you defeat the guards?" to Cat.

"Almost," Cat agreed. "They are all his giant chew toys," she added with a snicker as Hafter stood proudly with he tongue lolling out of his mouth. "I just help round them up."

"He'd go everyday if you'd let him," Hawke said, meeting her eyes.

"While I'm sure he'd love it, Aveline wouldn't be as happy," she said walking over to pet Hafter's head. "The guards need a few days to recuperate in between beat downs."

Leandra smiled as she watched the two of them, glad that Garrett had such good friends. She knew she had been on her way to being a sour woman with all the tragedy that they had gone through, and the shock of seeing those same habits in Garrett after he returned home had awoken something within her.

Since that Satinalia, when she demanded that he bring all his friends over for dinner, and had seen the difference in him when they were around, she couldn't help but feel that they were the Hawke family's road to recovery. No longer as worried about Garrett, she turned her attention to Gamlen, knowing he would be a much harder egg to crack.

He gaze sharpened as she watched Garrett reach out and tuck a stray lock of hair behind Cat's ear. __They are standing very close…__ she thought with an eyebrow winging up. __I'll have to discreetly find out more about Catarina.__

* * *

After dropping Hafter back at home, Cat went to visit the clinic. She grinned as she thought of Anders and Olivia, and how different they were, yet how they worked so well together. Though he could act like a father at times, Cat could see how happy Anders was to be helping a fellow mage in staying out of the circle.

"Anyone home?" she called out as she entered the clinic.

"Cat!" Olivia called out happily as she came out of her curtained off room. She came forward for a hug. "You just missed him, he went out for more herbs."

"Oh no," Cat said sarcastically. "Whatever will we do with ourselves?"

Olivia laughed, and linked her arm with Cat's. "Come in, come in! Do you want some tea?" she asked with a laugh.

"We can hardly sit and visit without tea," Cat added with a wink.

"Well sit down then, and we'll get it started."

Cat had enjoyed the visit immensely. Olivia was just as involved now with the mage underground as Anders was, but didn't feel the need to bring the subject up, instead wanting to hear about the others and their adventures.

Cat grinned as she remembered Olivia's blush as she later asked about men. She hadn't been ready to talk yet, but Cat could tell she had her eye on someone. She snickered to herself as she thought of what Anders' face would look like when he found out, since he seemed to view Olivia as a young girl most of the time.

At that thought, her smile disappeared. She truly hoped it wasn't Anders that struck Olivia's fancy… If she knew anything, she knew he didn't see her like that, and didn't think that would turn out well for her.

Over the next few visits, Cat continued to question Olivia, hoping that she could get a clue of the man she was thinking of, so that she would know what to say. But all she could glean from the younger woman was that the man was very handsome, a mage, older… and wanted to help other mages. She worried so much, that she finally came out and asked.

"Olivia… is…is it Anders?"

Olivia's eyes grew wide, before she threw back her head and laughed. Cat felt a wave of relief before she joined in.

"I can't believe you just asked me that!" Olivia said with a snicker.

"Well, it's not like you gave such good clues!" Cat defended herself. "A mage… older than you, likes to help other mages, good looking… what was I supposed to think?!"

"Plenty of people fit that description!" Olivia protested with a smile.

"Uh-huh… and how many do you spend time with?" Cat countered.

Anders chose that moment to walk into the clinic, seeing Olivia and Cat look over at him and burst into laughter. He frowned, looking down at his clothes and touching his hair, wondering what could possibly have set them off.

* * *

It was another week before Isabela returned, surprised that Cat wasn't home when she got there late that night. Weary from her travels, she flopped onto her bed, wondering where Cat was before she sank into oblivion.

The next thing she knew, she was rudely awakened by a boulder falling on her. She wheezed as she lurched up, blearily blinking away the sleep and focusing on the rock laying on top of her.

"Kitty?" she asked.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Cat exclaimed, though it was garbled since her face was pressed to Isabela's stomach. She lifted her head, "please please please! Tell me you're done with all this leaving me behind!"

Isabela smirked. "It wasn't like you could just drop everything and come with me," she said.

"I would have, if you needed me," Cat replied with a grin, but Isabela could tell her words were serious.

"I know," she said, then pushed Cat off her to stand. "So is there food, or should we go out?"

"That depends," Cat said from her seat on the floor.

"On?"

"How long are you staying this time?"

"I'm all out of leads," Isabela said smirking, though Cat could tell she was upset about it. "I'll have to just keep my ear to the ground until I find another."

Cat whooped for joy, and scrambled to her feet. "Then we're going!" she said happily. "My treat!" Isabela's face lit, and Cat hastily added, "on food." She laughed as Isabela's face fell.

They lingered over a small breakfast from the market stalls, enjoying the sunshine, and telling each other of what they did during their time apart. It didn't last long, as Cat's routine was pretty similar from week to week, and Isabela didn't go into detail about her own. But she begged for details of the men in Cat's life, and with a laugh, Cat told her all about her friends.

Cat then brought up the housing situation, unsurprised when Isabela mentioned staying in Lowtown, or even perhaps in the Hanged Man itself, after all, Varric did.

Cat rolled her eyes at the thought, but wondered where in Lowtown she could find a better place. She had been looking after all, but any place that wasn't run down, was already occupied, and she didn't want to simply rent a room any longer.

She told Isabela of the Wardens, and how she had received a letter from first Duran, which led to continued correspondence with the Wardens as well as others in Ferelden. True, mostly she wrote to Leliana, but it was almost as if Leliana were the hub that all messages went to, and she in turn sent them out again, so that all were kept in the loop of what was happening with the others.

She had gotten letters that described Wynne's time with Shale and Carridin, some describing what she already knew of the Qunari's Arishok in Kirkwall, several death notices of prominent people in Antiva, as well as a search for answers about Morrigan's location. The Wardens were extremely tight lipped, but every now and then she would get information of darkspawn raids in random areas of Ferelden, which she would share with Hawke, so he had some idea of where his brother might be.

"Where were you last night?" Isabela asked suddenly, and Cat was brought out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Last night?" Isabela asked. "I got back pretty late..."

"Oh, at Fenris' place."

"Really?" Isabela asked with a sly smile.

"You know it's not like that. I stay in the guest bedroom sometimes, when we stay up too late working on our reading."

"I wasn't aware there was a guest bedroom..." Isabela drawled.

"Yeah, well, I made one. Fenris kept giving me the bed and sleeping in a chair, or on the floor."

Isabela smirked, but couldn't tease too much, she knew their relationship was platonic after all, though it still grieved her. _Fenris was practically perfect for Kitty_ , she thought.

"So," Cat asked. "How's Hawke?"

Isabela looked over in question. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Huh?" Cat asked. "Why would you?"

"Shouldn't you know?" Isabela countered. "I just got back."

"Oh!" Cat laughed as she realized the misunderstanding. "Yeah, Hawke's fine. But I meant, you know… how are things __going__ with him…"

Isabela snorted. "You know Kitty… men are only good for one of three things."

"Three?" Cat asked. "I figured for sure you were going to say only one."

She laughed but continued. "One- sex, of course."

"Of course."

"Two- companionship. Not my favorite, but there you are."

Cat snickered.

"And three- all the other stuff, like getting information, or being a part of your crew, or your friend… whatever."

"Right. And the point?" Cat asked.

"The point is, sometimes, it takes awhile to figure out which one. __Sometimes__ , the man decides he wants companionship where you only want sex… or in your case, flip those," she said with a smirk. "If you're not sure which one the guy is good for, you end up getting hurt."

"And you don't know which one Hawke is?" Cat guessed.

"Not yet," Isabela said. "But I'll find out before I let anything happen," she said as she glanced protectively at her friend.


	48. Chapter 48- FootMeet Mouth

**_Well, here it is everyone. It may be a little anti-climatic since we've waited for so long, but Hawke finally finds out. You may ask yourselves why I waited so long, but I promise I have my reasons. And hey, it's my story! :P Enjoy!_**

* * *

"I'm glad I caught you two," Hawke said as Cat and Isabela crossed paths with him in front of the Hanged Man. "I'm heading out to collect everyone, we have a lot to talk about."

"I don't know…" Cat said, causing Hawke to look at her in confusion. "Last time you told me we were all meeting, no one showed up," she added with a teasing smile.

Hawke searched his memory, and finally understood as he remembered several weeks ago coming to her house. He grinned as he remembered the look on her face when she realized how little she was wearing when she opened the door.

"Any way…." Cat said, remembering the exact same moment, but in utter embarrassment. Isabela gave her a questioning look, and she quickly shook her head.

"Yes well, sorry about that. Right after I saw you, I was dragged off by Bodahn for some unruly visitors at home. I had forgotten that I even told anyone, so I just figured I would try again another time," Hawke explained. "And that is today. Give me and hour or so, and I'll have everyone there," he said with a small wave and headed off.

"Need help?" Cat called after him.

"No!" He replied without turning back.

"Well, plenty of time to find out what that blush was all about then," Isabela said, opening the door to let Cat in first.

"You probably would have done it on purpose, and definitely wouldn't have been embarrassed," Cat muttered as she walked in.

Isabela laughed. "Oh Kitty, that covers so many things!" she said, pulling her by the arm over towards their usual spot.

* * *

"All right everyone, here is what happened," Hawke said, getting their attention. He looked up and down the table, seeing each of his friends looking at him expectantly. "I was called into the viscount's office the other day," he began. "He wanted to talk to me about the Qunari."

"Why?" Aveline voiced, though there were looks and whispers aplenty among the others.

"Apparently, we made a good impression on the Arishok."

Cat and Isabela glanced at each other, then over to Fenris as he spoke up.

"It is not surprising," he said, looking down at his drink. "We've had several skirmishes with his warriors now, and come out the victors each time. The Qunari appreciate strength and skill."

"I suppose," Hawke agreed. "He definitely wants nothing to do with the Viscount. In fact Dumar stated that his own diplomats have been all turned away by the Qunari."

"Could be they don't want to negotiate anything," Isabela muttered. "Are we really buying that they are waiting for a ship?" she asked, a little louder so everyone could hear. "They could have built several and been home by now."

"I think we all agree that there is something else going on," Hawke said grimly. "And apparently I was selected as the go between for the Qunari and the city. I need to go see the Arishok tomorrow, and I was hoping some of you would come with me."

Isabela sat back with a frown, her arms crossed. __That's a no,__ Cat thought. __Although I am curious, I shouldn't go either. I have no idea if they know about me, that I was part of the crew of the Siren's Call…__

"Cat?"

Cat glanced up, seeing Hawke looking at her. "I'd rather not," she said quietly. "Unless you need me there."

Hawke smiled gently, "I think we have enough of us going, you don't need to worry."

"Thanks."

"So," he said louder, obviously including everyone. "Does anyone else have anything that needs doing?" They all glanced around at each other. "If not, I have a few more things."

"Of course…" Varric teased, even as he got out his quill and ink.

"I've gotten a few letters," Hawke said as he pulled out his own parchment full of notes. "First, from Feynriel. It seems that he's been having a bit of trouble, and is not finding any solutions among the Dalish. I'm not certain how we can help, but perhaps just a visit will do."

"Oh!" Merrill said loudly, causing Hawke to pause and everyone to look at her. "I… uh, would like to go, if you are going to go to the Dalish that is…" she said with a smile. "It won't be pleasant, and I most likely won't be welcomed, but, if I could talk to the Keeper, it would help."

Hawke looked confused, in fact, Cat assumed she was the only one who understood what Merrill was requesting.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem, Merrill," Cat said with a smile.

"Thank you Cat."

"Yes, all right then," Hawke said as he nodded to Varric to make a note. "I also received a message from the Prince of Starkhaven. If you remember, we helped him wipe out those that murdered his family. It seems he has some new information, and would like our help once again."

"Definitely," Cat said.

"Cat's become friends with him, while we were gone," Varric said in answer to Hawke's questioning look. He looked over to Cat, who nodded, and he looked annoyed for a moment before continuing.

"I would agree, as part of the Chantry, he doesn't have anyone else to assist him in this."

Hawke continued to speak, but Cat wasn't listening as he pushed a piece of parchment in front of her. She glanced down and saw that it was a letter. Seeing who it was from, she started reading it intently, excited to hear from her.

She obviously was planning on never seeing Cat again, as she had asked Hawke to give her apologies and farewells. But she seemed in a better place, emotionally if not in actuality. She looked up as a few of her friends started standing up. She glanced over wondering if they were taking a break, or if they were done for today.

"Well?" Hawke asked, bringing her attention back to him. "What do you think?"

"First off, thank you for letting me read this. It's not what I would have hoped for, but closure is good all the same. I had wondered where she went, so it's nice to hear from her. At least I know she's okay."

"And the fact that she tried to kill you?" he asked skeptically.

"Idunna was my friend," Cat said simply. "And as you well know, if she had actually tried, I'd be dead."

"And what about these tomes she spoke of?" he asked.

"Idunna never mentioned it to me," she said, thinking that she wasn't exactly lying… "but I believe it. We should definitely keep our eyes out for them, and destroy them."

"All right," he said, making another note on his list. "It seems we will be pretty busy for the foreseeable future."

"Oh?" she asked. "That didn't seem like that long of a list to me."

"Well, you did miss a few things there, at the end. Besides, if the looks I got from Varric, Aveline, and Isabela were any indication, I'll bet they have something to add to it, that they didn't want to talk about in front of everyone."

"Hmm."

"What about you?"

"Huh? What about me?" she asked.

"Do you have anything to add? Or something you want to talk about privately with me?" he asked as he winked at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Nah," she said. "Just along for the ride."

* * *

Varric turned and nudged Isabela again. "You shouldn't spend all your money Rivaini, you'll owe me a few sovereigns before long."

"Keep dreaming Varric," she answered, following his gaze over to where Hawke and Cat were talking. "You are seeing something that isn't there."

"She makes him happy," Fenris added, as he leaned on the bar. "But she has told me she isn't interested in anyone."

"You know she would be mortified to know what we are discussing, right?" Anders chimed in as he joined them. "Not to mention if she knew you two had a wager."

"It isn't what you might think," Varric answered with a smile as he brought his mug up to his mouth.

"We don't really know where any of this is going, or even if it will," Isabela explained. "Varric seems to think that they are headed for a storybook romance, and soon."

"Two years ago, I might have agreed with you," Anders replied, as he too looked over at his friends. "But Cat has successfully befriended every man even slightly interested in her. At this rate, I'm surprised that Hawke isn't already there as well."

"Are you certain you even see something?" Fenris asked Varric. "Cat looks just as she would if she were speaking to any of us."

"Perhaps he merely wants to have __fun__ with her," Isabela said, causing all three of the others to scowl.

"Rivaini, don't spoil the moment," Varric groused.

"Hawke would regret that, very much, if it were true," Fenris grumbled, and Anders nodded in agreement.

Isabela laughed jovially. "You three, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were jealous! Yes, yes," she said, as they all looked ready to object. "I know, you're just looking out for her. You're not the only ones," she added.

"Oh?" Varric asked with a smirk.

"I haven't missed the way he looks at her," she said, nodding in their direction. "I'm just not certain if it is a good thing or not."

* * *

"Oh, come in, Aveline! It's so good to see you again!"

"Thank you, Leandra, how are you?" Aveline asked as she stepped into Hawke's home. They had come a long way, in such a short amount of time, and as she followed Leandra into her home, she gazed around in amazement. "It looks wonderful," she said genuinely.

Leandra's quiet, lady-like laugh, echoed through the large room. "Thank you, that's very kind, though I cannot take the credit. This is all Garrett's doing."

"Mostly luck," Hawke added, as he stood above them on the balcony.

"Indeed," Aveline agreed with a small smile. "Still, more work never hurt, right?"

Hawke smiled back, and started down the stairs toward them. "What do you need, Aveline?" he asked.

"Remember Emeric?" she asked, and he shook his head. "Oh that's right, you didn't ever meet him. Well, he's more than aware of you, and insists that he speak to you about the missing women from a few years ago."

Hawke just looked confused, so she explained. "He's the templar that gave the clues that led us to the foundry where that necromancer was," she said, watching the understanding dawn on him. "He's convinced that the killer is still on the loose, and I couldn't exactly tell him that I was there when the bastard was killed, pardon me Leandra," she said in excuse for her language, which Leandra simply waved away.

"So what does he want from me?" Hawke asked, incredulous.

"An ear, I suppose," she answered. "If he has any worthwhile information, then I'll pick it up, but right now, I simply don't have the time, and he refuses to talk to anyone other than you or me."

"All right, I guess I can do that," Hawke replied. "For a friend."

"Thanks Hawke," she replied.

"Speaking of friends," Leandra said, gaining their attention. "Aveline, do you have a few minutes to tell me more about Cat?"

"What?" Aveline asked, looking from Leandra to Hawke and back.

"Garrett tells me all about his group of friends, except for Cat, and I admit, I'm very curious."

"Mother…" Hawke said in exasperation. Aveline smiled, as it was obvious that she had asked repeatedly.

"What? I simply want to know your friends better," she said with an innocent look that made Aveline snicker. "And your apparent lack of information leads me to wonder what it is you are wanting to hide?"

"I would be happy to tell you more about her, though I am sure that just inviting her over would do the trick as well," Aveline commented, seeing Leandra's face light with excitement, as Hawke glared at her. "What?" she muttered quietly.

"That is a wonderful idea," Leandra said. "Now that the house is completed, we'll have to celebrate and invite all of your friends over, Garrett."

"Of course, Mother."

Aveline shook her head, as Leandra left them, murmuring plans for her newest idea. She turned to smirk at Hawke.

"That was fun," she said, and he glowered at her.

"Yes, thank you for that."

"Oh come on, it's nothing," she said. "Just tell Cat about it, and you'll both have a good laugh. Remember when she tried to do the same with Cat and Carver?"

"It's different…" Hawke ground out through clenched teeth.

Aveline then noticed how uncomfortable her friend was, and eased back. "Obviously this is truly upsetting you, but I am at a loss as to why."

Hawke sighed and rolled his eyes. "Because."

"Very succinct," she replied. "You can't help the ideas your mother gets, and Cat will understand. The only reason you'd be upset is if-"

Hawke looked over at her, his arms crossed in front of him. "If?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"Hawke…" she started, looking much more solemn. "Do you…? I mean, you and Cat?"

"Was that supposed to be a question?" he asked sarcastically.

"Oh, Maker, you do!" Aveline said with wide eyes. "How did I not see this?" she asked herself. "How did none of us see this?" She glanced back up at him. "And?"

"And what?" he asked, aggravated.

"And what have you done about it?" she demanded. "In case you are not aware, our Cat is a most sought after commodity."

"Believe me, I've noticed," he groused.

"So…?"

"So nothing."

"Hawke. I'm not one to pry, but just as Cat was saying the other day, you may find yourself in the friend zone."

"What?" he asked, confused. Aveline tried to explain it as well as Cat had, but felt she probably didn't do it justice.

"The point is, you do not want to wait too long. What if Cat has already decided you are just a friend?" She looked away and muttered, "it seems as if she enjoys doing so."

"Look, Aveline, I'm not even sure what it is I want. She's beautiful, yes. Fun to be around, and all. But it is not like I want to court her. I'm not looking for __marriage__ here."

Aveline's eyes narrowed this time. "What __are__ you looking for then?"

"I don't know!"

Aveline rolled her eyes. "Get it together Garrett. If all you're wanting is a night of pleasure, may I suggest the brothel."

"That's not what I meant."

"I should hope not."

* * *

No one mentioned the change to either Hawke or Cat, but they most definitely mentioned it to each other. They couldn't quite hide their smirks and smiles as Garrett flirted excessively with Cat, who was completely ignorant of what it meant.

Cat, for her part, didn't see any difference between flirting with Hawke, or flirting with Fenris or Anders. It was fun, and harmless, so why not?

Isabela, after hearing about Aveline's talk with Hawke, became more concerned then before, worried that perhaps she hadn't done all she could to ensure her friend wouldn't be hurt. She was responsible for Cat after all.

The others weren't worried, in fact, they were silently cheering them on, but Isabela kept a close watch on Hawke, concerned for the moment when Cat would finally understand.

Several days later, most of the group was in the Hanged Man, spending a rainy with each other in Varric's room. Cat was writing letters to her friends in Ferelden, and talking with Isabela about Zevran's campaign against his former guild.

Varric had several of the others in a game of Wicked Grace, though they never seemed to make it very far, with Merrill constantly giving away her cards by asking what they meant, or if she had a good hand.

Anders and Olivia joined them later, walking in and shaking out their clothes. "Wow, that storm just came out of nowhere!" Olivia exclaimed, and Cat's eyes darted over, and then to the window.

"Storm?" she asked fearfully.

"Yes," Anders agreed. "Nothing like earlier. It's already raining heavily, and it just started a minute ago. With the way the clouds looked, I'm sure we'll have a grand storm."

Cat whimpered quietly, turning to Isabela with wide eyes full of fear. Ever since the storm that had destroyed their ship, Cat had absolutely hated storms, whereas before they were something she enjoyed to witness. Now, they brought back memories of chaos and destruction, and her personal fight for survival.

She ignored it as best she could, trying to act as the others were, but deep down she was quivering.

"It's all right Kitty," Isabela murmured in her ear, rubbing circles on her back. Cat nodded, trying not to flinch as the lighting lit up the room, and the thunder boomed across the sky.

 _ _I'm fine, I'm fine…__ she chanted to herself, focusing on anything, __anything__ other than the storm around her. She tried closing her eyes, but saw the blackness of the ocean as she had jumped in, and she could feel her breathing quicken.

"Stay calm, deep breaths," Isabela murmured, though it wasn't working. She knew the others were looking at her in concern, but she couldn't keep her mind on them, it kept returning to her memories, the faces, the screams of the crew, she and Issy, jumping into the water and becoming separated.

She did her best not to panic, and her anxiety increased as she couldn't seem to succeed.

* * *

Hawke opened the door, letting his mother into the house before him.

"Thank you son, I appreciate you spending the day with me," she said.

"Any time, Mother," he replied. "I'm just glad we finished before the rain really started."

"You and your friends don't have plans tonight?" she asked.

"Varric said something about playing cards," he answered. "But nothing essential."

"I'm glad you won't be out then," she said, as she started putting her newest purchases away. "That little shower is turning into quite the storm, and quickly."

"What?" he asked, as he heard the thunder. Racing back over to the door, he threw it open, and looked to the sky.

"We have these types of storms so rarely, it always takes me by surprise," she said as she walked over. "It's as if all of nature were angry."

"I have to go, Mother."

"What?" Leandra looked up in shock as he ran out into the storm. "Garrett!"

* * *

Everyone except for Cat looked up as the door banged open. Hawke disregarded everyone as he strode over to Cat, not caring that he was soaked, though she probably would. He plucked her up from her seat, and carried her around the table to the fireplace. Sitting down on the floor, with Cat in his lap, he held her as she shook.

"I've got you," he whispered to her. "You are safe."

She shuddered, but started breathing deeper. He continued to ignore the others as he spoke to her, running his hands over her hair, or her back, helping to keep her anchored to where she was, and not in the past.

* * *

"Do you think they even know we are here?" Varric asked quietly as they all stared unabashedly at them.

"They look so good together," Merrill sighed happily.

"Rivaini?" Varric asked. "You're awfully quiet."

Isabela glanced over, before looking back to the pair in front of the fire. "I didn't think he would remember," she said. "It was back when we first met, he had come over to discuss something, and ended up staying, waiting for an awful storm to blow over. Cat was a wreck, worse than now," she paused, caught up in the memory. "Nothing we did could get her to calm down, all the horrible memories from the shipwreck, and Hawke finally just grabbed onto her, and wouldn't let go. And miraculously, it worked."

They all turned back to Cat, noticing that she was breathing normally again. It seemed Hawke had known what to do after all.

"So, he ran through the storm to find her?" Olivia said quietly. "Knowing she was scared? That's…. really romantic."

"Yeah," Merrill agreed with a sigh.

They continued to watch as Hawke ran his hand over and over through Cat's hair, calming her with his touch. And they watched as she finally turned to look into his eyes, all staring at them as they stared at each other. Not wanting to ruin the moment, they stayed quietly at the other end of the room, now looking down at the table or each other as they tried to give some semblance of privacy.

* * *

"You… you came for me?" Cat asked quietly.

"Of course," Hawke replied, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You're all wet," she said, as she finally noticed, and he chuckled.

"Running through a storm will do that," he said.

"But… why?" she asked.

He gazed at her, uncertain himself, but the words tumbled out anyway. "I would do anything for you."

Cat's mouth dropped open slightly, shocked at his words.

"I can't stop thinking about you," he murmured softly, coming closer, pulling her hair out of the last of its braid so it tumbled over her shoulders. "I want to be with you all the time… I just… want you. In my arms… in my bed…"

Cat's eyes fluttered, she wanted to close them and revel in the feeling, but she wanted to continue to look into his. She wasn't even remotely prepared for this, and her thoughts all jumbled together. But then, her mind finally understood what he had just said.

"Wait… what?" she asked, pulling back a little.

"Let's stop playing games," Hawke murmured, as he leaned forward.

Cat was alert now, and she backed up even more. "Who's playing?" she asked quietly, aware of the others in the room.

"I'm not like the others, I don't need that innocent routine," he said, which had her looking at him in confusion. __The others wanted something innocent?__ She thought. __That doesn't make any sense.__

"What are you talking about?" she whispered.

"I'm saying," he replied, just as quietly. "I want you, no matter what you used to do, or how many men, or women, you've been with." He looked at her, confused. "Why that look?" he asked, forgetting to be quiet as he saw her upset. "I'm telling you, I don't care about the past."

She didn't speak as she stood up, and Hawke, unsure of what was happening, helped her do so, standing after she was up.

"Is it the money?" he asked. I know you lost your job because of me… I'll pay you, whatever you want." He turned to the others as he heard several gasps. "What? None of you want her going back to that life anyway, do you?!"

Cat stood there motionless, all the earlier warmth replaced with cold.

"Cat?" "Kitty?' "Little Dove?" she could hear them ask, but she just stared at the floor. __So this is what he thought of her.__

"Cat?!" Hawke demanded, grabbing her arm, and she finally looked up. "I don't understand," he said.

"I'm trying very hard not to hold that against you," she replied as her eyes filled.

"Hawke…" Varric started, but was cut off by Fenris standing up. He walked over to Cat, and grabbed hold of Hawke's hand, causing him to release her. Then he reared back and punched him in the face.

"Maker's breath…" Anders said under his breath.

Hawke fell to the ground, not expecting to be hit, and he scrambled back up, seeing Fenris leading Cat out of the room. "Wait! Cat!" He started to follow, but found everyone in the room standing suddenly in front of him, blocking his way.

Isabela sighed. She knew he would hurt her, she just hadn't known it would be before they even started. "Sit down, Hawke," she said.

His eyes flashed in anger as he turned to her. "What? No! I need to go after her, I need to fix this!"

" ** **SIT! DOWN!**** " She had yelled it, but apparently so had a few others, and the force of it caused Hawke to step back in shock. He looked from face to face, seeing the hurt, the anger, and the disappointment on each of them.

"I don't understand," he said miserably.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home," Fenris answered, and it took a few minutes for her to realize he meant his home, as they headed toward Hightown.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly, and Cat sighed.

"You shouldn't have punched him, though a small part of me is glad you did."

He smirked, but didn't look at her, and she was glad. It somehow made it easier to speak if he wasn't focused on her.

"He deserved it."

"Did he though?" she asked, feeling awful. "I remember everyone was under the same impression at one point."

"And yet we all came to same conclusion, except for Hawke."

"Yes, but to be fair, it's not like we've spent time together as I have with everyone else. He doesn't know me as well as you or Anders do. Besides, he's got a lot on his mind."

Fenris sighed, shaking his head. "How like you, to defend him. The man was trying to take you to bed, Cat."

Cat flushed. "You heard that?" she squeaked.

He nodded, his jaw tense. "We were mere feet away, it was hard to miss."

"Maker's balls!" she swore, rubbing her eyes. "This keeps getting better and better."

* * *

"What is there to understand?!" Anders exclaimed, while Olivia tried to hush him. "You just tried to seduce __Cat-__ the most innocent girl we all know- and then offered to __PAY HER FOR IT!__ "

"No, I mean… that's not what I meant," Hawke said, obviously unhappy and still confused.

"What did you mean?" Merrill asked, giving him a smile. __She was always one to see the best in people,__ Hawke thought.

"I was there, when that Madame at the Rose told her she no longer had her job. Cat was very strong, and made it look like she was fine, but even with her making deliveries now, there's no way she's making what she used to," he explained. "It was because of me, always having jobs, and wanting her to join… so now that I have the money, I wanted to help her out."

"Hawke…" Varric said as he slapped a hand to his own forehead.

"What?!" Hawke demanded.

"She didn't __act__ fine, she was fine," Isabela said harshly. "She's making more now than she ever did there."

"Wha-" Hawke started. "But how?" he asked. "She's beautiful and somehow keeps her innocence no matter how many clients she has had." A thought came suddenly and he snarled. "Did that woman not give her the money she earned?!"

Varric hit his forehead again, not understanding how this wasn't sinking in. Isabela, too, had had enough, and she leaned forward putting her hands on the table on either side of Hawke and getting up in his face.

"She didn't __have…any…clients."__ she said quietly. "Yes, she worked at the Rose. She went in late at night and cleaned up the rooms of the workers. She made friends with them, though eventually the Madame had her train her own replacements."

Hawke's eyes were like saucers as her words hit him. "But-"

"And yes," she continued, not allowing him to interrupt. "she was offered several times to be one of the whores, but she wouldn't. However when the Madame asked her to not deny working there in order to bring more clients in- in a vain attempt to be with her- she didn't refuse, because she wanted to help the woman who gave her a job."

"Maker's Breath!" Hawke groaned, letting his head fall into his hands, narrowly avoiding hitting Isabela in the process. She stood back up, still angry, but she could feel herself softening.

"Come on Hawke," she said, grabbing his arm, and helping him to his feet. "I think you need a drink."

"Or twenty," he mumbled, and she smirked slightly. She knew he hadn't meant to hurt Cat, but it had happened all the same.

"Obviously, you knew the entire time," Hawke said, and Isabela nodded. He turned to look behind him. "But it seems I'm the only one who was unaware… so how did you know?" he asked the group behind him, as they followed him out.

"We asked," Varric said, and the others nodded along, looking at him in sympathy. He supposed it was better than the anger, but didn't help him feel better.


	49. Chapter 49- The morning after

He stopped after his fifth drink, but only because it wasn't helping. He had to go see the Arishok tomorrow, and if he couldn't get blind drunk, then what was the point in drinking? Isabela seemed to have no such qualms, and while he could admit that his vision was a little blurry, he doubted the way she swayed on her feet was due to his eyes.

He had to admit, however, that she was either an extremely functional drunk, or could hold her liquor better than he.

"Come on handsome, I should help you get home," he heard, and turning, looked into Isabela's eyes… all four of them?

"Ugh… Arishok… don't want to…" Hawke mumbled, which had Isabela making a tsk noise at him.

"Well, that's what you get for being so responsible all the time," she said, pulling up on his arm, and placing it around her shoulders. He grabbed at his mug, downing the contents before she could, and then allowing her to help him stand.

"How are you sweet thing?" she asked, and it took him a few moments to realize she was speaking to him.

"Feel awful," he replied, his head hanging down, and wincing as she laughed.

"From the drink, or the day?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, and glowered at her when she laughed again. Soon they were out of the tavern, and she started leading him away. Once he finally caught on as to where she was headed, he pulled them to a stop.

"No," he said. "Mother can't see me… like this. I'll… uh, stay with Varric."

Isabela cocked an eyebrow at him. "I know a lie when I hear one. You asked me to stop you before you were drunk, and I did. Taking you back to the Hanged Man would be breaking my word."

"I forgive you, now take me back."

"Sorry handsome, but I guess you can crash at my place tonight."

He stared at her, aghast. "But… Cat… no, I need to apologize, but not like this!" he wailed dramatically, and Isabela thought he would be a very entertaining drunk.

"Kitty's not home," she said as she led him to the shack. "She's staying with Fenris."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"She usually does," she answered, and bit her lip so as not to laugh at his thunderous expression.

She opened the door and led him inside, helping him over to Cat's bed, and unceremoniously dumped him on it. She moved to step away, but his hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Everyone is mad at me," Hawke pouted, closing his eyes.

Isabela wasn't the comforting type, usually she was the distracting-from-problems type, and was somewhat at a loss. "Yep."

He frowned and opened his eyes to look up at her. "You're still mad at me?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Then… then why are you helping me?" he asked, sitting up with a wince.

"Knowing Kitty… and I do… I know you hurt her feelings. She'll forgive you, in fact she probably already has," she said, as his face lit up. "But, she won't trust you like she did, not with her feelings. And those of us who care about her, don't like to see her upset, you know how it is…" she explained.

"So… then what do I do?" he asked seriously. "I want to apologize, obviously, but what else can I do?"

"What exactly are you wanting here, Hawke?" she suddenly demanded. "I mean, we're all aware you'd like to have Kitty under you and screaming your name," she said, keeping a straight face at his snarl, "but besides that?"

"Don't say that," he muttered. "I may not know what I want in the future, but she deserves better than that," he admonished her.

"Yeah, she does," she replied glaring right back at him, until he looked away. "She's not like me," she continued. "She doesn't separate sex and love, so you'd do well to understand and get used to it."

"Now," she said as she headed over to her own bed, pulling out several daggers that had him wondering how she managed to find places to hide them. "I'm going to bed."

* * *

Hawke awoke with the sun, groaning as he laid there. The night had been torturous, trying to sleep while his brain ran over everything that had happened the previous evening. Then, when he finally curled up to sleep, he smelled Cat on the pillow, and had his mind awaken to the thoughts all over again. Now with very little sleep, and a thrumming headache, he tried to face the day.

At the same time, Cat walked slowly towards home. She too, had been unsuccessful in her attempts to sleep, her mind replaying all the events that had somehow led her to where she was. She smiled humorlessly as she recalled the times that she had found herself in Hawke's arms, and berated herself for not putting the pieces together sooner.

 _ _Obviously, the man would be wanting more at some point,__ she told herself. __A few heated moments and some almost kisses were only going to make him want more, not less.__

She walked slowly, giving herself time to think. Fenris was understanding, but didn't give any helpful advice. She wanted to talk to Issy about it, but worried that she already knew what she would say. This time, she couldn't use lack of attraction as an excuse either.

She was at a loss, as this was an entirely new experience for her. With Zev, the attraction hit her at the first instant, and though the moment had passed, she would always appreciate his looks. With Steven, it had been much the same, and his attention had flattered her. They had moved so quickly in their romance that she had never had the chance to stop and think until after they were already married.

Hawke, however, had seemingly snuck up on her. True, she had always found him appealing, that much she could admit- to herself anyway. Knowing that Issy was interested, had her closing off that part of herself, only now to find that he had thrown the door wide open again.

 _ _I'm going in circles…__ she thought. Looking up, she smiled at the irony of finding herself heading the wrong direction. __Emotionally, and literally it seems.__

"Isabela, I need help here…"

She turned and set the bowl of water in front of him, handing him a washcloth as well. "I don't know what you're expecting from me Hawke," she replied, turning back to the small closet.

He glanced down at the water, and pulling off his tunic, started cleaning himself up for the day. "I don't know how to proceed here," he finally said. "I think we can both agree that just saying what I want isn't the right choice."

She smirked as she changed, and went back to her bed, and sat down. "Last night, you said you didn't know what you wanted. Perhaps finding that out is the first step."

He looked thoughtful as he leaned over and splashed water onto his face and hair. "I know that I want her…" he said as he rose up, using the cloth to wipe the water from himself. "And I was fairly sure she wanted me. Obviously, I was wrong."

She simply shrugged in response. __Cat wasn't coy, and didn't string men along. If he thought she wanted him, it was most likely that she did- a part of her anyway.__

Hawke sighed. "I thought, that perhaps it had simply been too long since I was with a woman… but…"

Isabela looked at him shrewdly, but he didn't turn to her. She stood and went to him, looking up into his eyes. "If that's what you're wanting, my offer still stands. You and I can have a good time, without feelings getting in the way, and everything goes back to normal."

He glanced at her, surprised to find she was completely serious. He didn't understand how she could offer, with everything that had happened with Cat. She was being honest with him, and in that moment, he decided to be honest with her.

"I'd be a fool to not be tempted," he said slowly. "I have considered it many times since you first offered…"

She questioned him with a look, but waited for him to continue. He reached a hand up, running a finger down her cheek.

"No matter how I looked at it, logically, it was the perfect choice." They focused on each other, trying to see what the other was thinking, and neither noticed the movement of the door closing.

"But?" she asked after another long pause.

He looked down, and when his eyes returned to hers, she could see the apology in them. "But,,, you're not her."

He winced as he spoke, and Isabela had trouble hiding her smirk. __He must have thought he hurt my feelings, but no, not me. Would he be fun in bed? I'd put money on yes, and if Kitty ever finds out, then lucky her.__

"Then, you only have one option," she said, her mind made up.

"And that is?" he asked, confused.

"Be her friend."

He frowned, expecting something different. "So I be just like all the others? Fenris, Anders, Cullen, Sebastian? That doesn't make any sense."

"Hawke, it's fairly obvious that you could seduce the pants right off her if you tried, and while she is oblivious most of the time, she is now aware of this fact, which puts you at a disadvantage. And being that I'm still mad at you about yesterday, I'm not going to spell it out for you."

"What?" he asked in dismay.

"However, since you've passed my tests, I also won't… what's the phrase Kitty uses… cock block? Yes, I won't cock block you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he answered in confusion. "And what do you mean tests?!"

"I'm responsible for protecting her," she replied. "I wouldn't let you get this far if I thought you were just trying to get any woman into bed." She grinned at him. "You have no idea how many men I've had to sleep with to keep them away from her."

Hawke looked stunned for a moment, before throwing back his head and laughing. "Oh, I believe it," he answered between laughs. "I don't know whether to yell or thank you."

"Neither," she replied. "It's for her, not you."

"Right."

"You better get going," she said, stepping towards her weapons and beginning to outfit herself. "You'll want to go home and change before meeting with everyone."

"I do, yes." He stepped towards the door, grabbing his staff from where it was leaning against the wall. "Isabela…" he started, turning back to her.

"I know," she said with a smirk. "One more piece of advice?" she offered, and he nodded. "Kitty is always genuine. She doesn't know how to act coy or innocent. Remember that."

* * *

Fenris was brought out of his book as he heard the door slam. He marked his place and headed out into the hall, seeing Cat run into her room just as he exited his own. He walked over and looked in, seeing her flopped onto the bed, her face turned away from him.

"Cat?" he asked.

"Go away," he heard her say, though it was muffled from the pillow.

"Are you all right?"

"No," came the reply.

"What can I do?" he asked, wanting to walk over and pull her up to look at him. It was much harder to see what she was really thinking when he couldn't see her face, but privacy was something he valued dearly, and he wouldn't enter her room without an invitation. The fact that she left the door open was the only reason he was talking now.

He waited for another few moments, and was about to turn away when she sat up, and looked at him. He could see the tear tracks on her face, and his eyebrow rose in question, but he didn't voice it.

"I need to find another place to live," she said quietly. "Now. I can't go back there." She didn't elaborate, and he respected her too much to push any harder. He would be here when she was ready.

"Cat… why do you insist on living somewhere else? I have offered many times for you to just stay here."

"I can't just barge into your home and make it my own," she said with a frown.

"Is that the concern?" he asked with a smirk. "It is far too late for that."

She looked up seeing he was still standing in the doorway, and she gestured with her hand for him to come in. She moved over to give him a place to sit, and once he had, she looked at him in dismay.

"You already think I took over your house? If you didn't like the changes, you should have told me," she complained, feeling awful.

"I didn't tell you, because I liked them," he replied. "I like that you made this place an actual home instead of a decrepit mansion I was staying in. And… I like it when you are here. Why find another place, when you have already made this one? There is more than enough room for the both of us."

"But, what if you get annoyed with me, always being here?" she asked.

"You are my friend, that would not happen," he said, and she rolled her eyes. "But, on the off chance it did, there are many rooms that I could easily hide from you in," he added.

Cat smiled in spite of herself. "You really want me to stay?" she asked. He placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded. "You can change your mind at any time," she said, "for any reason, and I won't be upset."

"Very well," he replied. "Though I do not see that happening. Now, I need to head out to meet up with Hawke. Are you staying here, or are you coming?"

"Coming," she replied. "I need to speak to Corff about a long term room for Issy."

"Very well," he said again, and she smiled at him. "Perhaps, you should wash your face first, though." She rolled her eyes behind his back as he walked out of her room. "I saw that," he said, not looking back, and she shut the door behind him with a laugh.

* * *

Coming into the Hanged Man, Cat felt slightly nervous. She had Fenris with her, which helped, but everything that happened yesterday was still fresh in her mind, and after hearing Hawke and Isabela at their home this morning, she felt like a huge idiot.

 _ _The best thing she could do,__ she thought, _ _is pretend that nothing happened, and not cause problems for Issy. It was all for the best after all, and I'm even glad that Hawke and Issy were able to work things out, though not as happy as I should be for some reason. Eventually, however, we'll all be able to laugh about this, and Hawke and Issy are on their way to an epic romance.__

Cat followed Fenris over to where Varric was sitting, joining him for breakfast. It wasn't long before the others trickled in to join them, each of them apologizing and asking if she was all right, to which she would smile and nod, and ask that they all just forget it ever happened.

It was as if everything was back to normal, until Hawke came in. The table was quiet, and Cat could see the confusion on Aveline's face as she looked around at their companions. When Hawke came towards Cat, both Fenris and Anders stood to block him.

"Look, I only want to speak to Cat, and apologize for yesterday," he said calmly. They looked ready to refuse, but Cat just stood and agreed.

"Cat, you don't have to do this," Anders said quietly.

"Yes, I do," she replied. "We're friends, and we hear each other out. I appreciate what you are trying to do," she said, including everyone as she spoke louder, "All of you, but I'm not going to let this ruin what we all have." With that said, she walked over to Hawke and followed him to a corner of the room.

Anders sighed as he sat back down. "What was that all about?" Aveline asked.

"Hawke, may have said some things to Cat yesterday," Merrill explained tactfully. "Apparently there was a misunderstanding about her previous job at the Rose? And Hawke was trying to let Cat know that he liked her in spite of all those things she used to do, but she wasn't actually doing, because she didn't do what he thought she used to do."

Aveline brought her hand to cover her face as she shook her head. "Hawke, you didn't…" she murmured.

"It made for quite the interesting evening," Varric added, considering we were all in the same room."

"What?" Aveline asked, surprised. "He really has the worst timing, doesn't he?" she asked.

"Up until that point, it was very romantic," Merrill sighed. "He came running through that storm yesterday, knowing that Cat was afraid of storms, just to be with her, and keep her from panicking. And what you told us, about the talk with his Mum, we all thought he was ready to start courting her."

"So did I," Aveline replied. "So now what?"

"Cat's intention seems to be forgiveness," Fenris spoke, though his gaze didn't stray from the two speaking away from them. "She doesn't blame him for his assumptions, in fact, she says it was her fault for not ensuring he knew the truth."

"Which is ridiculous," Anders continued sourly. "Even if he thought it, __saying__ it was the greater crime."

"I'm surprised that he doesn't have any wounds from the pirate," Aveline said.

"I'm sure she laid into him when she helped him home yesterday," Varric said, "though she too seemed to feel bad for him. She helped him get plenty of drinks before leaving, though now that I think of it, could have been a way of getting revenge."

They stopped their conversation as Hawke and Cat returned, both smiling. "Everyone?" Cat said, though she already had their attention. "Hawke was telling me how you all stood up for me yesterday, and told him the truth. I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened, but I wanted to thank you, for your friendship, and your care on my behalf."

They all shrugged it off, knowing that would do so again, if needed, or for any of their friends. "Also," she continued. "Hawke and I have apologized and agreed to forget the entire thing. So I want all of you to do the same," she said. "No hard feelings, all right? We're all friends, aren't we?" she added.

She looked around the table as they all nodded and smiled at her. "Good. Well, good luck with the Arishok today," she said. "I'll see you all later."

Hawke paused momentarily after she left, but seeing no anger, he took her place at the table. "Before we forget it," he started. "I wanted to say, how sorry I am. I was actually trying to tell her how much I liked her in spite of what she had been forced to do to make ends meet, and well, it came out wrong."

Varric was the first to smirk. "If that's what happens when you are trying to be diplomatic, perhaps we should have Broody or Aveline do the talking with the Arishok, or who knows what you might say."

There was a pause, before Hawke's grim face broke, and he chuckled, which set off everyone else. They all laughed heartily at the joke, and the tension was quickly dissipated.

"So, Cat forgave you, Hawke?" Merrill asked innocently. "I'm glad you two have another chance." Several of the party stiffened, including Hawke. He turned to Merrill with a smile.

"I don't know about that, Merrill," he said. "We've decided to just be friends."

"Oh," she said dejectedly. "That's… too bad."

"It is for the best," Fenris replied, though he wasn't certain as he took in the look on Hawke's face.

* * *

Over the next week, Cat kept her feelings bottled up until she was ready to explode. She even wrote to Leliana, venting most of her aggravation and hurt feelings, and then tore the letter up before she could send it.

She had meant what she said to Hawke, she wanted to forget the whole incident had ever happened, and she wanted to be friends with him. However, she was having a hard time letting go of the fact that he had gone home that same night with Isabela, and had so quickly found a different woman that would give him what he was really seeking.

She also wanted to talk to Isabela about it all, but could never seem to pin her down, and felt that she was being avoided, which just made things worse. She knew her imagination was worse than anything that could have actually happened, but she didn't have anything else to fall back on. She knew better than to talk to any of her other friends about it, as they would either tell her that she was the one who asked them to let it go, or get mad at Hawke again. So she suffered in silence.

Cat shook herself from her thoughts as she glanced around. She could have sworn she heard voices. She stood from her bed, and went out into the hallway. She moved over to Fenris' room, and peeking inside the open door, she saw Hawke sitting with his back to her, speaking to Fenris. She quickly pulled back, not wanting to interrupt them, and started away when she heard Fenris ask Hawke about how he could start over.

"It seems you've got a good start already," Hawke said with a chuckle. "A home, a woman…"

Fenris chuckled, just as Cat was ready to argue, but she stayed silent to hear his answer. "Cat is not my woman," he replied. "She's more like family."

She smiled to herself, and decided to leave before she became too much of an eavesdropper.

* * *

"What of your family before?" Hawke asked Fenris. "Are they gone?"

"I… am not certain. The earliest memory I have, is when I was given these markings," he glanced down at his arm. "The agony of it wiped everything else away. Any family I had, I no longer remember."

Hawke's face registered his surprise. "That's… terrible. So, you don't remember even who you are?"

"Fenris was the name Danarius bestowed on me… his "little wolf". Anything before that, is gone."

"I am sorry."

Fenris looked uncomfortable, speaking of this. "I don't mean to trouble you. These are my problems, not yours."

"Fenris, you are my friend. Your problems __are__ my problems."

"Unlucky you." He stood with a sigh. "But enough of this, I am certain you are busy."

"Very well," Hawke agreed, not wanting to push. "Tomorrow, we are helping Sebastian. We're meeting in front of the chantry at mid-day."

"Should I tell Cat?" Fenris asked, and seeing Hawke's hesitation, bristled. "You want your __friends,__ do you not?"

"Of course," Hawke agreed quickly. "Please let her know."

Hawke thought about it, on his walk from Hightown to Darktown, and was nowhere closer to any sort of answer than he was before. He walked into the clinic, seeing that there were no patients at that time, and was glad for it.

"Hawke, what a nice surprise,"Anders greeted him. Olivia glanced over, and gave him a frown. No matter what Cat had said, Olivia was not forgiving him any time soon.

"What's wrong?" Hawke asked, seeing the tension on their faces.

"Templars were checking the refugee camps earlier," Anders said quietly. "It's only a matter of time before they find us."

"All of the raids and curfews, and hiding out just to avoid being made tranquil!" Olivia added. "It's ridiculous how far the knight commander is allowed to go!"

Hawke looked back at Anders, "Is it making things difficult? With Justice, I mean."

Anders sighed heavily. "There is no concept of time in the fade, so it is nearly impossible to convince him to wait and be patient."

"Not that you were patient to begin with," Olivia said.

"True," he said with a wry smile. "But, I fear what my anger has made of my friend."

"You chose to merge with him," Hawke said kindly. "Only you can make it work."

"I __am__ trying, but this cannot last. One day, everyone in Thedas will have to choose a side."

Hawke's eyes narrowed. "And, if they are not on your side? What then?" he asked. "They are many, including some of our own, that do not mistreat mages."

"Who knows what the future will bring?" Anders asked, and Hawke thought he had a very odd look on his face. "Anyway, did you just come to check up on us?" he asked.

"And to tell you that we are helping Sebastian tomorrow at mid-day if you can make it."

"I will see what I can do," Anders replied, looking to Olivia who shrugged.

"And…" Hawke said, though he didn't continue.

"Yes?" Anders asked.

"It's… Cat. I am not sure what to do."

"So you are done avoiding her then?" Anders asked with a roll of his eyes.

"I was trying to give her space," Hawke defended.

"Hmph," Olivia grunted, frowning at Hawke again.

"Look, I know I screwed up, okay?" he whirled on her. "I know, and you can hate me all you want, but I'm __trying__ to make it better, and it isn't working!"

Olivia looked shocked, and then looked away, a slight blush on her face. Hawke turned to Anders, "please, I need some help here."

"Anders said you had agreed to be friends," Olivia spoke up, and both men turned to her.

"Yes, that is what she wanted, and I agreed to it," Hawke replied.

"And? How is that going?" she asked.

"Wha- ?" Hawke asked, frustrated. He turned back to Anders, to see him contemplating her words.

"I agree," Anders said finally. "You agreed to be friends, but neither of you are doing so, and it makes it awkward whenever the two of you are together."

"You don't think that's because of the stupid things I said, or the fight we had?" Hawke asked dubiously.

"We have all said stupid things to each other, and there have been many fights, and yet, we are all still friends," Anders pointed out. "I think in order to fix this, you and Cat need to make a greater effort to be friends."

"A __greater__ effort?" Hawke asked in disbelief. "I don't… ugh," he groaned. "Look, I'm trying to get her __out__ of my head. You really think spending more time together would be good?!"

Anders and Olivia both smirked at him, and Hawke crossed his arms in annoyance. "Perhaps not more time, but quality time," Anders said.

"Yes, find out more about her, tell her more about yourself. You'd be surprised how quickly friendship will come, especially since you both share mutual friends." Olivia reached over to pat Anders' arm. "Anders can help with conversations, it doesn't have to be just the two of you."

"That's true," he added with a smile. "We will all help. We all want the awkwardness to go away, after all."

"Okay… if you're… sure." Hawke wasn't convinced, but thought he would ask Varric to help as well. If anyone could start conversations, it was him. "Fenris is bringing her along tomorrow, so we can start then."


	50. Chapter 50- Repentance

So now we are into Act 2, officially beginning quests! While plenty has happened with our main couple not becoming a couple, it was important to see that they are both easily swayed from the other due to past experiences, and their own denial. I'm not forgetting that things happened, but both are going to try pretty hard to "just be friends", albeit unsuccessfully.

* * *

"Anything I should know about today?"

"Hmm?" Cat asked, glancing at Fenris as they walked towards the Chantry.

"Today's jobs? Anything important to know before we meet with everyone?" he asked.

"Hmm, no, nothing crucial. With Sebastian, we'll come across a demon or two, but there should be no problem."

"That is good to hear," he replied. "Some days it feels as if the Maker himself were against us."

Cat glanced over again with a smile. "More like Hawke is just a magnet for trouble, I think," she replied. "No matter the job, we'll have our work cut out for us."

She could see his smirk, and chuckled, as it made him look more dangerous, rather than jovial. Turning the corner, she could see several of the group had already arrived, and she ran forward to greet them.

"Aveline!" She called out, as she came forward. "Hi!"

"What about me?" Anders asked with a fake pout.

"Hello Anders, how are you?" Cat turned to him with a grin, as he pulled her in for a hug. "Ready for this?" she asked.

"I'm not certain, as we haven't been told what it is we are helping with yet," he replied with a wink.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it," Aveline said stoically.

"Cat, my friend!"

She glanced up towards the voice, and saw Sebastian descending the stairs to the Chantry with Hawke and Varric. He had a hand lifted in something between a wave and salute, and Cat moved forward to meet them.

"Sebastian, good to see you again," she said, clasping arms with him, and patting his shoulder.

"That's right, I forgot you two already knew each other," Varric said with a smirk, as Sebastian changed his grip on her hand, and brought it to him to kiss it. "Probably better than we do, in fact."

Cat continued to smile,though she rolled her eyes. Today, she wanted to only spend time with her friends. She had missed them in the past week, keeping to herself as she had. __Well, no more of that!__ she told herself.

"That's true," she replied. "Though Sebastian insists that this is how one greets a friend, I have yet to see him greet any others this way," she teased, and Varric's eyes lit up.

"You have yet to dissuade me that you are a lady, my friend," Sebastian spoke up. "And until you do, I shall greet you as one."

"Well, far be it for me to disagree, for I am also not convinced of Cat's humble origins," Hawke said grandly, and grabbed her hand to kiss it as well.

Her eyes went wide, and she sucked in a quick breath, but she forced herself to treat Hawke just like her other friends. It seemed he was having an easier time of it than she was.

"Oh stop that," she said, pulling her hand back. "I should have warned you that I haven't washed my hands for awhile…" she laughed at the face Hawke gave her, and Sebastian joined in with a chuckle.

"Don't fall for it," he said to Hawke. "She has tried that numerous times as a distraction." He gave her an eye roll as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Are we waiting for anyone, or are we ready to leave?" Cat asked.

"We're waiting for Merrill," Varric answered. "So, Choir boy, when did you meet our Little Dove?"

Sebastian spluttered. "C- Choir boy?!" he asked.

"Eh, it just seemed right," Varric answered.

"Varric gives everyone nicknames," Cat said to Sebastian as an explanation. "Actually, we met the day that you all left on the expedition," she said to Varric. "Though we didn't become friends until later."

"That's true," Sebastian said, still eyeing Varric oddly. "I was here, in the courtyard, and suddenly this woman came running in, as if someone was chasing her. She collapsed against the wall, panting, so I went over to see if I could aid her." He looked over at Cat with a smile. "And introduced myself to Cat. Over the next few weeks, I ran into her several times in front of the keep."

"That's when I started working with the guard," Cat explained, which had Aveline nodding and giving a smile at the memory.

"And we started practicing our archery together after that. Though, it has been awhile now…"

Cat gave him a sheepish look. "I'm sorry Sebastian, things have been a little… uh, busy."

"It's true," Anders jumped in. "We've all wanted to spend time with Cat since we returned."

"Perhaps we should all get together to spar and work on our skills," Hawke said, having everyone turn to him. "It couldn't hurt to become more familiar with each others' fighting skills, especially if we do not have another job."

"A wise plan," Fenris added. "We could practice combining our strengths into specific attack patterns."

"Outside the city would be best…" Anders added. "To avoid the templars."

"We have a large room at our house that can be used as well," Cat offered.

"Did you move to a new home, Cat?" Sebastian asked. "That small hovel in Lowtown can't be what you are speaking of."

"Oh, yes," she replied. "I'm living with Fenris now, in a mansion in Hightown, just a street over, and down," she said as she pointed in the direction.

Sebastian's brow furrowed, and he looked as if he was ready to say something about her living arrangements when Hawke jumped in.

"Oh, Cat, I almost forgot!"

She turned to him, gratefully. "Yes?"

"I brought you something," he said, and pulled a book away from Varric, handing it to Cat. She looked down, seeing that it was destroyed, with burn marks all over its cover. She looked up in confusion, and he grinned at her.

"One down, four evil tomes to go," he said.

Her face lit as she understood. __They had found one of the tomes that Idunna had spoken of, and destroyed it!__ She assumed it was the one from the Chantry, being as that was where they had come from.

"This is amazing!" she said as she looked back at him with a grin of her own. "Was it difficult? Tell me everything!" she exclaimed as she forgot everything else and stepped over to him, looking at him expectantly.

He was surprised, but covered it quickly, and began relating the tale in a way that would make Varric proud.

* * *

"You're certain about this?" Hawke asked Sebastian, as he stepped forward to the door, and pounded on it with a fist.

"Without a doubt," came the reply. All smiles from earlier were gone, as the group waited on the doorstep. Sebastian finally reached forward to try to door, and it opened without a sound.

"Ominous…" Varric muttered.

"That's strange," Sebastian said. "The door is open, and not a single guard is posted? This is not the Lady Harimann I remember." The group stepped forward into the large foyer, looking around. Everything seemed normal, except for the complete lack of people. "Something is very wrong here."

Hawke waited for Sebastian to lead, but after a few moments with no movement, he stepped further into the room. The group followed after him, at a slow but steady pace, looking all around them for the people who lived here.

Several doors seemed not only locked, but braced against entry, leaving only one path to follow. Hawke pulled out his staff, wary for the trap that seemed inevitable, but continued onward. He heard a voice, and followed the sound towards the wine cellar. He led his crew down the steps, all while the lone woman berated her invisible servant.

"Why will no one in this house give me what I want?!" she demanded.

"Flora?" Sebastian asked, as they reached the level she was in.

"Now! Give me more wine, or I swear I will drown you in the dregs!" she yelled at the air.

"That sounds familiar," Varric said aside to Fenris. "I don't envy the others in this house come morning."

Sebastian looked at Hawke in confusion. "She doesn't even see us…" he said quietly.

Hawke turned around, and headed back up the stairs. Turning down the corridor he was originally following, he led the group into the main dining room. They stopped just inside the door, seeing a man in front of a cauldron with a fire going beneath it in the middle of the wooden floor.

"Unwise," Fenris muttered.

"More logs! It must be molten!"

"Brett?" Sebastian asked, coming closer. He paused as he saw an elven maid being held at knife point by an elven servant. "What's going on?" he asked, in exasperation.

"You," Brett called out. "Bring more coins! I want every piece of gold in this house!"

"P-please messere," the maid begged.

"Don't worry, you'll be beautiful!" Brett turned to the elves, speaking to the male. "Once it is ready, pour it over her."

"No, you'd kill her!" Sebastian protested. The elf turned, and seeing the group, left the maid and went over to them. Sebastian wasted no time, and rearing back, punched him in the face, sending him to the ground. He stepped aside as the maid ran from the room, noting that Brett had yet to notice anything was amiss. "What is this madness?!" he cried.

"Perhaps it should be me?" Brett mused, even as Hawke led his group onward. Cat looked back, seeing the glaze over his eyes as he spoke. "But then, how would I appreciate it? No, no… wait! Where did she go?"

Cat caught back up, Aveline waiting until she passed to continue. She could hear Sebastian speaking to Hawke. "… often played together. They could not have concealed such goings on."

"We'll get to the bottom of this Sebastian," Hawke replied. As they reached the top of the staircase, Hawke said, "Fan out, see if you can find anything."

Cat walked to the nearest door, hoping for an empty room, but her luck wasn't that good. She stepped into the room and smirked, knowing immediately what, or who, she had found.

"Oh… lower… r…. no, no… where's the feather? Yes, that's it, use the feather!"

"Cat?" she heard behind her, and Anders, seeing what was in front of her, stepped up and covered her eyes with his hand.

"Hawke!" he called, and the others came racing into the room, expecting danger. Cat heard Aveline give a disgusted sound, and heard a chuckle or two as well.

"My deepest apologies Cat. I beg your pardon, everyone. I did not mean to expose any of you to such things."

"Nothing I haven't seen or heard before," Cat muttered, and blinked at the sudden light as Anders' hand was removed, and he spun her around to face him. _"_ _ _Excuse me?"__ he said quietly.

"Where have you been all my life?" The man in the bed exclaimed suddenly. "Today, I am more than a man, and now, felicitate me!"

Cat snickered, bringing her hand to her mouth to try to stifle it. She could see Anders trying to look shocked, but the corners of his mouth were also coming up in a smile.

"Isabela will be sad she missed this," Hawke said.

"He has absolutely no idea we're even standing here," Sebastian exclaimed. "I've known Ruxton Harimann my entire life. He's a complete prude!"

"You know what they say about a man with big hands," Ruxton said loudly, which brought another round of chuckles.

"No, what do they say?" Cat asked Sebastian innocently, causing him to flush.

"I… think it is time to move on," he said, herding the group out of the room, but not before they heard the last part.

"Now, you be the naughty apprentice, and I'll be the templar torturer…"

"Whoa… that's a real thing?" Cat asked as she glanced up at Anders.

"Let's talk about something else," he muttered.

"Come on, I want to know!" she said back with a grin. "I can understand the role play, but I wouldn't think mages would like it very much. Hawke, Merrill?"

"Hmph," Anders grunted.

"Have you ever played apprentice and templar?" Merrill asked Cat, causing several of the men to choke suddenly.

"I haven't played that particular one before," she answered. "What about you, Anders?"

"Yes Anders, do tell," Hawke said with a laugh.

"Certainly Hawke, right after you," Anders countered quickly.

"We're all friends here," Varric said with a sly grin, and Hawke and Anders stopped talking.

Cat rolled her eyes. "It's more fun when everyone shares you know. Maybe we should have a girls night soon, since the boys aren't sharing. Aveline, Merrill? What do you say?"

"Listen!" Fenris hissed, causing everyone to be silent, and ready their weapons. They stopped, listening for whatever Fenris had heard, but in the silence, Hawke gestured forward and moved on.

They followed single file below even the cellar, all of them glancing around the dark room. As they reached the floor, they grouped back together, and headed forward.

"Turn back. There's nothing for you here."

"Flora? Brett? Ruxton?" Sebastian called to the three of them, standing in front of his group and blocking their way.

"How'd they beat us down here?" Cat whispered to Varric, who shrugged.

"Oh, now you see us?" Hawke asked with a smirk. "Strange that you couldn't when you were all acting like complete idiots, then you ignored us completely."

"You shall not enter." After saying this, Flora fell to her knees, and over on her back, followed immediately by her brothers.

"What… just happened?" Varric asked.

"Demons!" Merrill called out. They all braced, and a desire demon with several shades sprung up in their midst.

After the fight, Sebastian looked at the doorway across from them. "Demons, temptresses… we must see what evil they were protecting," he said, though Cat thought he was speaking to himself.

"Let's go," Hawke replied, and headed onward.

After a particularly nasty fight with a rage demon, they stopped to catch their breath. "This is some kind of ruin, and so near Hightown… it's… impossible," Sebastian marveled.

"So many demons," Hawke muttered. "What have these people gotten involved in?"

"With this many lesser demons," Merrill spoke up, "we will probably find a greater demon in charge of them."

"Just what I wanted to hear," Varric mumbled.

"At least we won't have to worry about them in the future," Aveline added. "It's good that we are destroying them."

"Everyone ready?" Hawke asked. Receiving nods, he started off again, moving down stairs and through rough-cut hallways.

Cat couldn't say she enjoyed the atmosphere, what with the dark halls only lit with torches on the walls. The corpses and shades that sprung up made things infinitely worse, and when the revenant appeared, she froze for a moment or two before running like hell the other direction, and letting the others deal with it.

However, she wouldn't change it. She enjoyed their banter, and even more, she enjoyed when she was a part of it. Even those that didn't really get along, would find things in common to speak of, or tease each other, and even then, if the teasing did turn mean, Hawke would step in and change the subject.

She absolutely loved it, and was having the time of her life.

Cat looked up as they walked under a large archway. Hawke looked left, toward a large wooden staircase, then right, to a large tunnel. He stepped right, and the corpses popped up as one, easily surrounding them. "Revenant!" Cat whipped around, surprised to hear the call again, and looked where Merrill pointed to see the large, armored corpse striding down the stairs.

It looked like it was staring straight at her, with its red lit eyes, and she faltered slightly.

"Cat!" she heard Hawke call, and she focused on him. "All together, after Anders freezes it, all right?"

She looked back at the demon-possessed corpse, and nodded. __I can do this…__ she thought, and she headed around the group to get into position, fighting a few corpses on the way.

"Now!" Anders yelled, sending a heavy Winter's Grasp spell at the revenant. They knew it was resistant to cold, but it gave them a few moments before it broke free to damage it.

Cat watched as the others jumped into the fray, using their toughest attacks to bring it down. She worried, knowing that it could take them all in one attack, and if she tried to run, it could pull her back.

"Behind you!" Varric yelled, being at a distance for his own attacks. They broke off, seeing the Arcane Horror behind them. Hawke stayed where he was, pulling the blade of his staff from the revenant, and gathering mana to attack.

Cat could see the electricity gathering around him, and held back still, as the lightning surged forward to the revenant. Hawke bent over, panting, as the creature stood up, and loomed over him, and the fear for someone else won over the fear for herself.

Cat charged forward, her daggers overhead, and she jumped, digging her daggers into its back. She yanked the left one out, and moving higher, plunged it back in, repeating it with her right side, climbing up the back of the creature, her feet no longer touching the ground.

"Die! Just Die!" She pleaded with it, stabbing it repeatedly, twisting the daggers as much as she could. The unearthly screams of the thing, were stabbing into her eardrums, and she wanted to let go, but her fear held her fast. It seemed like eternity, and there was a sound like something punching through a wall. She looked up, and saw the Hawke's staff's blade protruding from the head of the corpse, through its helmet. And then she was falling, as the thing fell down, and she rolled away, finally releasing her daggers.

She opened her eyes to see Hawke standing above her, looking concerned. "You okay?" he asked. She took a mental inventory, and nodded, relieved. "Good," he said, reaching down to help her to her feet. He went and retrieved her daggers, handing them to her by the hilts. "You did good," he said with a smirk, and she couldn't help but return it.

"It felt good," she replied.

"I don't know about you," Varric said as he came forward. "But I am ready to finish this."

"I couldn't agree more," Hawke answered. He picked up his staff, stepping on the head of the revenant, pulling the blade free, and striding off while the others quickly followed.

* * *

"I put that Idiot Goran Vael into the Prince's seat, but the other families will not heed him. I must marry him to Flora, and solidify our hold. And to do that, I need __more power.__

"She really did it…" Sebastian said sorrowfully. "I had hoped… but no. She killed my family. All for power."

They stood quietly, observing Lady Harimann speaking to a powerful desire demon. They were a fair distance away, but the cavernous room echoed their voices to the group.

"You've already traded your husband and children," the demon spoke. "What else do you have to offer?"

Hawke, having heard enough, strode forward, and Sebastian followed close behind. The others followed, though there was a small distance between them.

"What's the going rate?" Hawke asked sarcastically. "It's a standard fifty silvers down at the Blooming Rose."

The demon turned, eyeing the new-comers with a smile. She glided over, admiring the look of them, feeling the desires bursting from each of them. "You'd hardly find __my__ services "standard", it replied.

The demon eyed each of them, unable to decide which would be most delicious. The two in the front, speaking with such righteous anger, even as they wanted the same power for their own… the male elf and mage, yearning for freedom, and the power to destroy their enemies. It turned its eyes to the females, dismissing the elf as too easy, and the warrior as boring.

 _ _This one, the desires are so many, yet unrealized…__ it thought with a grin. __Not too simple, but fun to nurture along until it consumed her. Much as Lady Harimann used__ _ _to be.__

"And you __murdered__ her!" Sebastian yelled.

"Such a harsh word," the demon spoke again, and Cat found herself about to nod, and shook her head. She could feel the demon smiling at her, and she looked away. "I prefer, "removed obstacles from her dream".

"This is your influence!" Sebastian rounded on the demon, who shrugged nonchalantly.

"I could create such desires, if I wished. But it is far easier to nurture those that already exist. The desire for power is easy to find. You and your friend both have it, do you not? Or the power to destroy one's enemies?" Cat's head popped up, as she felt Anders and Fenris both tense beside her. "Or even desires of the heart?" Cat looked away again, feeling the demon's pull and wanting to resist.

"I will hear no more!" Hawke bellowed, breaking the tension in the room. His crew raised their weapons, and charged forward, as both Lady Harimann and the demon disappeared.

Cat looked around, seeing the older woman appear behind them, and running for her. She would fight literally anything else in order to stay away from it, even the powerful blood mage. Before she could make it, the demon appeared in front of her, its hand on her face.

"I can help," it whispered to her, and she whimpered at the force of the pull she felt, unable to look away.

"No… no!" Cat yelled, shaking her head.

"Leave her alone!" Sebastian yelled, shooting a bolt straight at the demon, embedding it in its stomach, causing it to wail in pain.

"Cat! Move!" he yelled, and she shook her head again, moving away as quick as she was able.

Not to be outdone, the demon moved on, calling forth shades to help protect it, as it came to the male elf.

"All of them will die, if you let me help you," it cooed at him. He glanced at it, uncertain. The words did not feel right, and yet he wanted so badly to agree.

"Get the demon!" Hawke yelled out, as he fought with Lady Harimann. "I can handle her!"

"Ha ha! What's a little boy going to do to me?" she spit back at him, lashing out with a spell that had his blood feeling as if it was on fire.

"Hawke!" Cat yelled, as she threw a small knife at the mage. It struck her leg, but was enough of a distraction to stop her spell, and Hawke stood once again in front of her, grimacing.

"Blood magic!" he spat, disgusted.

"Shall I show you more?" she asked with a horrendous grin.

"No thank you, Ma'am," Cat said as she brought the dagger through her chest. The woman became limp in Cat's arms, and she gently brought her down to lay on the ground, pulling her dagger free on the way. She waited until she was no longer breathing, and sighing, cleaned off her dagger, and stood.

Walking over to Hawke, she noted that the others had finally been able to take out the demon, and she felt better just knowing it was gone. She reached where Hawke knelt on the ground, and stuck her hand out to help him up.

"That looked painful," she commented about the earlier spell.

"I believe she set my blood boiling within me," he replied as he stood.

"Ew," she said with a wince. "Glad we stopped it in time then."

He looked down at her, with a smirk. "Thanks," he said.

"Anytime."

* * *

Cat didn't say much on the trip back, listening to Sebastian speak to Flora, who was now free of the demon's control, listening to Sebastian curse the demon and all the havoc it has caused. She almost wished for their earlier banter, as they left with heavier hearts.

"That was a horrible experience," Aveline commented. "I didn't realize how strong a demon's words could be."

"Agreed," Fenris said. "It was as if the words themselves were pulling on me."

"Yes," Cat agreed, unable to properly put into words how she had felt. "I feel… dirty."

"I do as well," Sebastian spoke up from ahead of them, though he didn't turn. "It is as if I have bathed in filth, and I will never be able to be rid of it."

"We all acted honorably," Hawke said with conviction. "There is no need to be ashamed."

"Perhaps," Sebastian said. "But the demon did not lie. I was terribly jealous of my brother, and wanted what he had. Now, I could, while he lies in ashes. But, I ask myself, do I want it for the right reasons? Or simply to fulfill old desires?"

"Are you not your parent's heir?" Hawke asked, confused.

"No, I am the youngest of three sons. They already had their heir, and spare, so I was sent to the Chantry."

"But, you seem very dedicated to the Chantry. You didn't join by choice?"

Cat glanced around, noting that everyone was riveted on the conversation in front of them, though they took measures not to show it. She also noted how filthy they all were, after climbing through ruins below someone's house.

"I simply do not know what would be right," Sebastian said as Cat tuned back in.

"What do you want to do?" Hawke asked.

"That demon stirred much in me, and now, I am afraid I have too many doubts. It cannot be right to lead with such doubt gnawing at my heart. I must wait, until I am certain." He glanced over at Hawke, with a smile. "I owe you more than I can say, Hawke. Until I decide on my own path, I will aid you in whatever you need."

"Well, killing a few hundred bandits will help. If not with your decision, than at least in feeling better."

"You have a strange way of working out your inner struggles, Hawke," Sebastian grinned at him in confusion.

"And this should help too," Hawke added, reaching over to Varric, to have a large bow placed in his hand, which he turned over to Sebastian.

"Uh, how did I not notice Varric carrying that?!" Cat said to Aveline.

"My grandfather's bow?!" Sebastian gawked at him. "Where did you find it?"

"It seems the Flint Company did some looting. I merely did the same."

Sebastian pulled back on the string several times, testing its strength. "I look forward to testing it," he answered. "What do you say Cat?" he asked, turning back. "Archery practice tomorrow?"

She grinned in reply. "Sounds fun."


	51. Chapter 51- Blackpowder Courtesy

Cat looked around at her friends, noting that Isabela was still absent. Making a comment to Hawke about it had him eyeing her oddly and saying that if anyone should know, then it would be her, not him- which confused her.

She sat back against a tree, watching as Hawke worked with Aveline. No one really wanted to spar just yet, and fighting together as a group against the trees didn't seem helpful. Hawke started by simply asking everyone to show what they could do, and the others would suggest something in their own repertoire that would pair well.

Cat stayed quiet for now, feeling that once they got into a rhythm this practicing would be beneficial. Now she simply observed, and would speak if she thought of something helpful.

"I don't know Hawke," Varric said, gaining Cat's attention. "Perhaps I could spread some caltrops around Aveline? Any enemies trying to get close would find it difficult?"

"But then Aveline would be unable to advance also," Fenris pointed out.

"Hmm…" Varric replied.

"What if," Sebastian said, "you used your kickback, directly after Aveline staggers someone with a bash of her shield?"

"Kickback?" Hawke asked.

"I can't use it often," Varric said as he thought of the possibilities, "but Bianca has a lever that will pull her string back another inch and a quarter, causing greater force on the shot. If the man is already wavering…" he nodded along, "yeah, it could work. Maybe even take him off his feet."

"Okay then, now we're getting somewhere!" Hawke said with a grin. "Aveline, let us see what your shield bash looks like again."

Aveline nodded curtly, and performed a shield bash against an imaginary opponent.

"There!" Varric pointed, having Aveline whip around to look at him. "I can look for that, where she steels herself for the attack."

"That could be for any attack," Fenris pointed out again.

"No," Sebastian argued, "she plants the opposite foot when swinging with her sword."

"And what?" Fenris asked, nonplussed. "You're going to take the time to watch Aveline for a slight movement so you know when she will shield bash?"

"In time," Hawke interrupted, "I hope to have all of us so used to fighting beside each other that we can tell by our fighting styles what we will do next. For now however, we should use signals or attack calls."

"Perhaps we can focus on one type of attack like this with each person?" Merrill asked.

"For what purpose?" Hawke responded.

"Well, if I only have one attack with each of you, then when I yell out your name, you'd know what attack I am about to do, maybe?"

Everyone looked over at Merrill, the shock apparent on some faces, but Hawke just grinned. "Merrill, that's genius!" he exclaimed, which had her blushing, and mumbling something.

"Which reminds me," Varric said. "Aveline, I need a couple of examples of attack calls the guard uses. My story needs a little realism."

"I'm the wrong one to ask, Varric. If it were up to me, you would lose your printing blocks," Aveline replied scathingly.

Varric sighed dramatically. "Once again, I am falsely accused of whatever it is I am accused of. Falsely."

"Uh-huh." Aveline looked at him skeptically. " _ _Someone__ replaced the information on my recruiting posters with filth from the Blooming Rose."

"Ha!" Varric let loose, before putting a smirk on his face. "Oh, that does sound pretty good."

"Sure," Aveline sarcastically replied. "Fill the barracks with whores! But you'll also fill the Rose with guards."

"Hey!" Cat called out, feeling slighted for her friends in the Rose, and Aveline gave her a look of apology.

Varric sighed again, with much more dramatic flair. "It's true then, some of the best comedy comes from tragedy."

"Ugh!" Aveline grunted with a roll of her eyes.

"Let's get back on track here," Hawke said diplomatically. "Let's work out the timing on this. Varric? How much notice do you need to prepare your shot?"

"Five or six seconds I would think," he replied.

"Right. So Aveline, this tree is the target." Hawke walked forward, signaling for Varric to ready himself. "So, you'll call out to Varric, and then do your shield bash, and move out of the way."

"Which way?" Aveline asked seriously, the former banter forgotten. "If I am just calling out, I won't know where he is. I may move directly into his shot."

"I can yell back my location, left or right?" Varric offered. "Then if I don't respond, you know I won't be shooting?"

"All right," Aveline agreed. But you should tell me which way to move, not where you are. I have no doubt I would confuse the two in an actual fight."

"Sounds plausible," Hawke said. "Let's try it." He stepped back, and everyone looked on eagerly as Aveline called out, and Varric yelled back, followed by a shield hitting the target tree, followed by a bolt that buried itself deep in the bark.

"Well?" Varric asked, as he and Aveline turned to the others, though the smirk on Hawke's face was the only answer he needed, and he had them run it again.

"This could work…" Anders said quietly next to her, and Cat found herself nodding along. He turned to her and asked, "do you want to go next, with me?"

"Sure," she replied. "Did you have something in mind?"

"I do," he cunningly grinned at her, and she leaned closer.

"And?" she asked.

"Think you could shoot a target through the foot, and pin them in place for a moment or two?" he asked.

"That… could be arranged," she said, looking up in thought and nodding in affirmation.

"I think my Stone Fist would do much more damage if the target never saw it coming…"

"Agreed," Cat said. "Let's volunteer once Hawke is done with these two."

"Okay, who's next?" Hawke called out, and Anders and Cat both jumped up.

* * *

Heading out to the Bone Pit, the group was the most talkative they had ever been, and Hawke reveled in the feeling of accomplishment. Not only were they the best group of fighters individually that he could have found, but now they were well on their way to being the best, and most dangerous crew in all the Free Marches.

 _ _Right now, they were paired off, and only working on one attack for each pair, but soon,__ he thought, __they would be able to utilize powerful attacks no matter which combination of fighters I've got at any given time!__

As he came to the mine, he noticed the workers standing around outside. He strode forward, intent on finding out what was going on, and left his crew behind him. He wasn't worried, they could handle themselves.

He walked up to a man named Jensen, who was now considered the spokesman for the workers, at least where he was concerned. He had no idea who was actually in charge, or if his "business partner" Hubert even had a foreman.

"Jensen," Hawke greeted the man with a nod. "What is happening?"

"Hawke," Jensen said with relief. "Glad to see you! There's an awful new stench in the second mine shaft, but for the life of us, we cannot figure out what's causing it! And we're still waiting for the new axes Hubert promised us. Maybe Hubert should have let you handle the investigation. He's been at it for over a year now."

Hawke's eyes narrowed. "What investigation?" he asked.

Cat looked over from the cliff edge where she stood, seeing the agitation on Hawke's face, and not wanting to get in the middle of whatever was going on. She walked back to where the others were standing, and stood between Anders and Fenris, _ _since they so kindly left a space for me,__ she thought with a smirk. __I'm surprised they are even standing this near each other, though they have been getting along pretty well lately. As long as they don't have much one on one interaction, they are practically civil to each other.__

"I'm going to check out that cave over there," she announced. "Anyone that wants to come is welcome."

"Is that really a good idea?" Anders asked as he glanced over at her.

"I don't see why not," she replied. "It's away from the mine tunnels, and is most likely just for storage, but it beats just standing here."

"I'll join you," Fenris said, turning and waiting for her to move so he could follow.

Anders sighed, and turned to Varric. "Let Hawke know where we went, if he asks, all right?"

"No problem Blondie," Varric replied, getting comfortable near the fire. "Yell loud or something if you need help."

"Can I come?" Merrill asked with hopeful eyes.

"Sure," Cat said, even as both men looked perturbed. _"_ _ _What?"__ Cat whispered to Fenris as she led them out. _"_ _ _I thought you didn't mind Merrill?"__

"I do not," he said quietly. "I was thinking of asking a question or two, but will not in front of her."

 _"Oh, I see. In that case, I am sorry. We can talk later tonight if you remember your questions."_

He gave her a small smile, with only the corner of his mouth being upturned, letting her know that he was not upset.

"I have to say, you two really impressed me today," Cat said louder as they walked. "Merrill, your nature magic combined with Fenris' damage from his tattoos was very cool."

"Cool? Should we add a cold spell?" Merrill asked, and Cat chuckled as she shook her head.

"No, saying something is cool, is like saying it is great, or neat to see."

"Oh… I don't get it, but all right," Merrill said with a smile.

"Thank you," Fenris added.

"No problem," Cat said. "It was almost frightening, with the thorny vines everywhere, and the pulsing light from the lyrium… Let's just say, I'm glad I'm on your side."

Cat tilted her head, and looked at Fenris as he cleared his throat. __If I didn't know better, I'd think he was embarrassed,__ she thought.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"N- nothing." He gave a weak chuckle and cleared his throat again, causing her to grin. __He WAS embarrassed!__

She gave him a wink, and changed the topic, but she'd be sure to tease him about this later.

Coming to the cave, Cat realized the other three had stopped, and she turned back, with a questioning look on her face. "What is it?" she asked.

"Something feels… off," Fenris said.

"I can't tell what it is, but it is a strange feeling," Anders replied. "Stimulating and powerful, which is very odd for a random cave."

"We should see what it is," Merrill said excitedly.

"Yes, but we'll take it slow," Cat agreed, turning back around and starting towards the cave. __If I have the right one, there should be another evil tome here,__ she thought. __Let's hope I've got the right one…__

She stepped silently into the cave, taking measured steps, and hearing the others behind her. One thing she had been correct about… this was a space used for storage. There were all sorts of rope, crates, pickaxes and other equipment that the miners used. Stepping further in, she noticed that it was a single room, with nothing else to see.

She turned around, and asked. "Can you still feel it?" and was answered with nods. "Which way?" she asked, and Anders pointed even as the other two turned in the same direction.

"Huh, I wonder why I can't feel anything?" she muttered, as she walked over to the wall where he had pointed. What had looked like a small crack in the rock was actually big enough for a person to fit through, and she stuck her head in to see ahead.

"Looks empty, but let's check it out," she said, and stepped through before they could answer. She wasn't in the mood for a lecture, so she waited for all three of them to follow before going further. Looking around, it appeared it was another dead end, though the room was bigger than the first.

"Let's circle around by the wall, and see if there is another passage." Merrill nodded, and took off to the left. Cat shrugged, even though she was pointing toward the right. Either way would work.

Before even making it halfway, they stopped in front of a cluster of glowing rocks.

"Raw lyrium," Anders said in a hushed tone. "That explains the odd sensations."

"It does?" Cat asked them.

"Lyrium in its raw form is strong, and wild," Fenris said. "Being this close, is like adding extra power to these," he said as he pointed to the marks on himself.

"Here," Merrill said, casting a stone fist over at the opposite wall. "My mana is already replenished," she said, causing Cat to gape at her.

"That was almost instantaneous!"

"Yes, it's very potent," Anders agreed with a wry look. "Just don't touch it, we don't have any way to carry it safely. We'll let Varric know, I'm sure he knows someone that will be able to come and collect it, or we'll simply sell the information to an interested party."

"If I doesn't affect me, why can't I touch it?" Cat asked, though she thought she remembered something about it even affecting dwarves, who were basically immune to it.

"It can still damage you, especially if you are in constant contact with it," Anders explained. "It can addle your mind after prolonged exposure, even if you don't touch it."

"Definitely not touching it then."

They continued on, to look through the rest of the room, and as they were almost done, they came across the book. Merrill reached down for it, and Cat said, "Wait!" causing her to freeze before she touched it.

"This is no normal book," Anders said apprehensively.

"Hawke got a letter, from Idunna, the one who told us about those blood mages trying to place demons inside the templar recruits? She got away safely, but she wrote to tell us that the lead mage had placed demons inside several tomes around Kirkwall."

"She put demons inside of books?!" Fenris demanded.

"Tomes of magic specifically," Cat replied. "There are five that Idunna was aware of, and it seems we have found one."

"This is amazing!" Merrill said as she looked at the tome with wide eyes. "Do you hear it?"

 _"_ _ _Hear__ it?" Anders asked in horror. "Don't __listen__ to it!"

"It is willing to give information in exchange for leaving it alone," Merrill said with a smile. "That's a very good bargain."

"Are you __insane?!"__ Fenris and Anders asked together.

"What? No." Merrill pouted, as if someone had kicked a puppy, not just questioned her sanity.

"Merrill, Hawke wants to destroy them," Cat explained. "He, Varric and Sebastian already got one this morning that they found in the Chantry."

"But why?" Merrill asked, confused. "This isn't something that will harm anyone!"

"How can you be sure of that?" Cat asked skeptically.

"I… don't know… I just know!" Merrill exclaimed.

"We should definitely destroy it," Fenris said with finality.

"I have to agree," Anders added.

"Sorry, Merrill, but me too," Cat said.

"You don't understand!" Merrill cried out.

"Like I said, there are five that we know of. That means there are three more. You can talk about this with Hawke, and maybe convince him." Cat didn't think so, but chose not to say that part. "For right now, the consensus of our group is to destroy this tome."

Saying Cat was shocked by the intense anger on Merrill's face would have been a major understatement.

" _ _FINE.__ " Merrill grit out, readying her staff. The other three eyed each other warily, but were determined to destroy the tome. They glanced between each other and the book before Fenris brought his sword overhead and swung it down at the book, slicing it straight through its covers, and making a slice in the dirt underneath it.

They heard an awful noise, and turned to see the abomination, desire demon, and shades that were released with the action.

"Get back!" Fenris called. "Merrill, our attack!"

Nothing happened, and Cat and Anders turned to Merrill who was fighting a shade, and purposefully ignoring them. Cat was shocked, never believing that Merrill would behave in such a way, but focused back on the fight as the creatures were practically on top of them.

She backtracked, and seeing Anders freeze the abomination, she shot her bolt at its head, shattering it on impact. It was a difficult fight at first, but they regrouped quickly and destroyed the demon, which made the shades much easier to kill.

Once they were clear of enemies, Fenris stalked over to Merrill, and Cat went to stop him, worried what he was going to do, and knowing she was already too late.

He was stopped by Anders, right in front of her, glaring down at her with a snarl. "You are extremely lucky."

She looked up in fear, though through sheer stubbornness, kept his gaze.

"If anyone… _ _anyone besides yourself__ had been hurt, I would have not hesitated to kill you. In fact, you should thank Anders and Cat," he continued, "as they are the reasons you are not already dead." Merrill flinched slightly at his words, and visibly jumped as his tattoos flared to life in front of her. "You don't have to agree," he continued, "but do not ever put our crew in danger during a fight again because your pride was wounded."

Merrill eyes widened, realizing what could have happened, and looked as if she would cry. "I didn't mean-"

"It is over now," Fenris said as he turned from her. "We will not speak of it further. But you know the consequences if you should let it happen again."

He walked to Cat and picked up the book's pieces and handed them to her. "Let's get back to Hawke," he said, and she nodded. He gestured for her to go, doing the same for Anders and Merrill so that he could bring up the rear. The group was quiet as they walked back to the crew, Merrill only turning once to glance back at Fenris.

* * *

"I'm going to have to find some better equipment for those men," Hawke grumbled to Varric as they headed out of the Bone Pit. "Some of those pickaxes couldn't even chip bread."

"Yes, well, I'll ask around. Maybe we can find a good deal for buying in bulk."

"I doubt my luck is that good, but it can't hurt to check."

"So Blondie," Varric changed the subject by turning to Anders. "Find anything interesting?"

"Yes actually," Anders replied. "A few things in fact."

"Oh?" Hawke asked, curiously.

"A demon book, and a vein of raw lyrium," Fenris broke in.

"A demon book?" Hawke asked.

"Raw lyrium?" Varric asked.

"Is __your__ name Anders?" Anders asked Fenris sarcastically.

"No, thank the Maker," Fenris retorted snidely, and Cat sighed.

"Yes," she said loudly, taking over the talking to avoid a fight. Fenris was seriously pissed at Merrill, and trying to hold back, which only made him grumpy. She did not want him to give Anders a reason to fight with him.

"We found one of the tomes like you did earlier, Hawke." Cat walked around to hand the pieces to Hawke, then walked backward so she could face him as she spoke.

"We destroyed the tome, though Merrill wanted to speak with you about that. She was able to hear the book say something before we did." Hawke glanced at Merrill before turning back to Cat with a questioning look. "I didn't hear anything, no, and we decided to destroy the tome since that was the last direction we got from you. But she wants to discuss alternatives for the next one we find."

"All right, we'll speak about it later, Merrill," Hawke said, not looking pleased, but willing to hear her out nonetheless.

"Thank you," Merrill replied. "And thank you Cat."

"Anytime Merrill," Cat said with a smile before turning to the dwarf. "And yes, Varric, raw lyrium. Again, I couldn't feel anything, but the other three could all sense it before we actually saw it. It seemed a decent size. Anders was saying we could either pay someone to come collect it, or just sell the location, though we might have to lead them there, it was well hidden."

"I'll see what kind of money we're talking, and go from there," Varric replied. "I'd prefer to just sell the location, but I'll get the best coin."

"Excellent," Hawke replied.

"So… where are we going now?" Cat asked. "To see Feynriel?"

"That was my original plan, but we got a lead on where Javaris went, and that is more pressing," Hawke answered. "Can you not do that?" he asked her, as he looked at her feet. "You're going to trip and fall."

"Sure, Mother," Cat replied with a smirk, and Hawke rolled his eyes.

Cat looked behind him, seeing Merrill trying to speak with Fenris to his aggravation, and she called out for Merrill to come talk with her at the front of the group. __Hopefully we'll find a fight soon, so Fenris can get out his pent up anger,__ she thought as she turned to walk facing forward.

"So, we're looking for this guy for the Qunari, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Varric said, as he walked with the two of them, even as Hawke dropped back. "The Arishok seems to think he stole from them trying to get his hands on their explosive powder. But… he's not exactly a master thief… or any sort of master anything. I think there is something else going on here."

"I don't doubt it," Cat said. "There is so much anger and hatred in the city right now, both towards the Qunari and from them as well."

"The Qunari must like it here, to stay so long where people are so mean to them," Merrill said.

"Daisy, as far as I can tell, the Qunari don't like anything."

"Oh, they must like something… _"_ she said. "Sunshine?…. Butterflies?…. Rainbows?"

Cat smiled sardonically. "If I ever see a Qunari admiring butterflies Merrill, you will be the first one I tell."

Merrill smiled back at her, without a care, as she enjoyed being out in nature while she could before they entered the city again.

* * *

"I think that's it, right there," Varric said quietly to Hawke, and he nodded, and strode over to the woman at the makeshift stall.

"I hear you're selling the assets of Javaris Tintop?" Hawke asked.

"We are," she replied. "Separate districts, separate workers, keeps things simple. This one had a meager lot, but skipped with dues outstanding, so up it goes."

"Sounds like he's made a few friends," Hawke said casually. "Can one of them point me his way?"

The woman was shrewd, and knew what he was really asking. She assessed the group behind him before turning back to Hawke himself. "Say that about anyone else, and I'd throw you out. But this one… he owes me too. Can't be certain, but if he's trying to avoid patrols, he'd head out smuggler's cut. It empties at a cave outside town."

Hawke looked at Varric and received a nod, and turned back to thank her. She nodded, and said "And a word to pass on? Don't come back." Hawke gave her a nod, and turned away, heading back to the others.

"Seems we have a smuggler's cave to check out," he said quietly to the others. "Everyone in?" Receiving nods of assent, he gestured for Varric to lead the way, and the group headed out.

Upon entering the passage, they promptly fell over several crates, and spent the first few minutes trying to avoid damaging the goods.

"Why would anyone just leave this here?" Sebastian asked. "It's like asking for it to get taken."

"Honor among thieves," Varric replied. "Ooh, what's this?" he asked as he opened a crate.

"What was that about honor?" Aveline asked dryly.

"Madam, you wound me. I am no thief," he replied.

"Of course, my mistake."

Cat smirked as she listened to them bicker, enjoying the playful undertones. She caught sight of Hawke peeking through several crates himself, but didn't mention it out loud.

* * *

They came across a few smugglers, some who let them pass without a word, and others who wanted a fight, so it took awhile for them to catch up to Javaris. Hawke tried to speak, but they simply attacked on sight, so he ordered his crew to fight.

He hung back slightly, knowing the smaller group of mercenaries didn't stand a chance, and observed. __They would definitely need to practice with each other more,__ he thought. __It still looked like an every man for himself out there.__

He turned as he heard Merrill yelling Cat's name, seeing that she had used her daggers to kill a couple of men unaware, but now was being pursued by three others as she tried to get away. __She needs to work on her stealthing ability,__ he thought.

"Fenris!" Merrill called out, as vines travelled through the ground from Merrill and wrapped themselves around the three men, giving Cat the opening to run back. Fenris strode forward, sheathing his sword, and stood in the midst of them, as his tattoos began pulsing with light from the lyrium.

With each pulse, Hawke could see the pain on his face, as he grit his teeth to bear it, but he could also hear the screams from the men, as with each pulse something invisible clawed at them. "Maker…" Hawke murmured, as he witnessed the spiritual damage slash the men from the inside until they fell limp.

The vines fell back to the earth, the bodies with them, and the glow from Fenris abated as well. Looking around, Hawke realized that those were the last of the mercenaries, and that everyone had watched this combined attack in its entirety.

"Well, that was…" Hawke heard Varric say before he trailed off, obviously not knowing how to finish his compliment, and Hawke stepped forward.

"Thank you," he heard Fenris say quietly, knowing it was only for Merrill's ears. He slowed, but continued forward. "for watching out for Cat."

"It was the least I could do… after…" she replied, and Fenris nodded before turning away. Hawke figured he should change the subject, but made a mental note to find out what that was about.

"Good work everyone," he said, and he headed over to where he spotted the cowering dwarf, hearing the others walking behind him.

"Javaris…" he began with a smirk. "Is this any way to greet an old friend?"

The dwarf stood, the shock apparent. "You?! Granny's garters, of __course__ she would send __you."__

* * *

 _ _Finally,__ Hawke thought. __After the trip back to Kirkwall, and asking around for hours, we finally, finally find the elf. And where is she? Surrounded by poisonous gas. Bloody elf, and bloody Qunari…__

Aveline watched in amusement, only guessing as to the reasons behind the muttering and mutinous faces that Hawke was making. "Let's get this over with Hawke," she said.

"Uh…" Hawke looked up feeling hopeful. "How about we skip this one? I mean, the guards can totally handle this."

Aveline's eyes narrowed. "And how about I shove a canary up your coal mine?" she threatened. "Let's. Go." She gave Hawke a small push.

"Oooh, scary…" Varric teased, and Hawke gave him a withering look. He stepped up to the gate, and opening it, took a deep breath, and stepped through.

"Anything you can cover your mouth and nose with, should help," Cat spoke up as she tied a bandanna around her face. "Even just breathing through your shirt." She followed the group, noting that though a few looked for something to use, none of them had anything besides Hawke. __Probably should have been better prepared,__ she berated herself.

"Find the source!" she heard Aveline call, and she stepped forward, squinting through the mist, trying to see… anything.

She heard Hawke swear, and went towards the sound. He was standing straight, holding what looked like a pipe in his hand. "Who leaves things like this around for me to kick?" he groused.

"That looks promising," Anders said, and Cat turned to see he had constructed a barrier around himself. "That barrel over there!" he pointed, and they all turned to look.

The barrel itself was ordinary enough, but there was thick green smoke coming in streams out of it. The smoke thinned out as it moved away from the barrel, as if carried on a wind that Cat couldn't feel.

Aveline and Fenris went forward, holding down the lid, as Hawke brought the piece of metal over, and between the three of them, were able to put it in place.

"Let's split into three groups," Hawke suggested. "Find the bars, and the barrels, and let's get rid of this gas."

Everyone nodded, and he pointed as he spoke. "Merrill, Sebastian, you're with me. Fenris, Varric, go with Aveline. Cat, Anders…" he stopped as he realized they didn't have a third.

"We'll be fine, we'll call if we can't get the bar on," Anders said. He grabbed Cat's hand, and headed off to the east.

"Do you know where you're going?" Cat asked.

"No," he said as he changed direction. "I'm just thinking if we can follow the thicker smoke, we should find the barrel."

"Which won't do us any good without the bar," she added.

"Good point."

They moved slowly, dragging their feet as much as they could, in the hopes of finding another bar amid the haze. Cat looked around as she heard coughing and gagging, feeling sick to her stomach. She stopped as she heard a maniacal laugh.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

"The laugh? Yeah," he responded. "Maker, this whole place makes me ill."

"Agreed," she replied. Hearing the laugh again, she turned, trying to zero in on where it was coming from.

 _"_ _ _make the powder… blame the ox-men… make the powder… blame the ox-men…"__

It was barely a whisper, but after several attempts, she could finally understand the chant. "Creepy…" she uttered.

"Found it!" Anders called, and she turned, only to find herself alone.

"Anders?" she called. "I can't see you!"

"Over here!" she heard, and started moving in that direction.

"Call again?" she asked, and heard nothing in reply. "Anders?"

Her heart started pounding loudly, and she slowly made her way forward. "Anders?" she said.

 _"_ _ _the powder… the powder… the POWDER!"__

Cat turned and stepped back, grateful that she did, as a small woman tried to stick her with a small dagger. She watched as the woman practically danced up the street, then turned back and ran at her in an attack.

Cat didn't want to hurt her, yet dodge after dodge, the woman's attacks were only getting better. She pulled out her own dagger, thinking that she could just injure her in order to incapacitate her, when something came from the mist and struck the woman on the head, causing her to fall down unconscious, and Anders stepped out of the haze, brandishing his staff like a bat.

"Anders!" Cat called in relief. "Where have you been?"

"Looking for you," he said as he stowed his staff, and went to help her up. "I was calling and calling, and you never replied. I was so worried!"

"What?" she said, shocked. "I was calling for __you,__ and you didn't reply."

"Hmm, that's odd. There is more to this mist than we once thought." He looked around, noting that he could no longer hear the sounds of the streets around them. "Let's find that barrel and get out of here."


	52. Chapter 52- Night Terrors

"Issy!" Cat called.

She stopped short at the threshold to Varric's room in shock, the sight of Isabela was expected, but she had no idea that Hawke would be here as well. The moment over, she rushed over to her friend and hugged her around her neck.

"Hi Kitty," Isabela said with a big smile. "I've missed you too."

Cat flopped on the bench next to her, though she was facing the wrong direction, but it made it easy to look her in the eyes. "How are you?" she asked.

"Good," Isabela replied, before looking away. "Well, as good as can be expected for coming up empty, anyway."

"You didn't find anything?" Cat asked, as she turned her head to see where Isabela was looking. Seeing Hawke, had her smiling and thinking, __Aww…they can't stop looking at each other!__

"Nothing," Isabela confirmed.

"I'll start asking around then-" Cat began before Isabela interrupted.

"No!" Isabela grabbed her shoulder, and squeezed it. "No Kitty, we're going to wait a bit, let whoever has it think things have calmed down."

"Oh… okay. If you're sure…"

"I am. This is for the best."

"All right then."

"Hungry, Little Dove?" Varric asked her, as he opened the door again for Corff and Norah to bring several trays in filled with food.

"Sure Varric," Cat replied, as she stood up to turn and sit properly at the table.

"So Kitty, fill me in," Isabela said as she poured herself a drink. "It's been awhile since we've talked."

"Too long," Cat agreed. "Well, we helped Sebastian deal with the people responsible for killing his family."

"Really?" she asked. "What happened?"

Varric and Hawke seemed happy enough to let her be the one to tell the story, so she told what she could remember of the adventure, describing the details that would interest Isabela, and skimming over the others.

"Sebastian said the man was a prude, but I think you would have been impressed with his creativity," Cat said with a snicker. "I tried to do you proud and get everyone sharing their thoughts on the matter, but the guys wouldn't say anything."

"I'm not surprised," Isabela said with a laugh. "They are all pretty stuffy after all."

"Stuffy?" Varric asked with a look of mock offense. "More like I'm too much of a gentleman to kiss and tell."

"Ha!" Cat barked. "I'd believe that of Sebastian perhaps, but I know you too well my friend."

Hawke merely smiled and shook his head as they continued their friendly bickering.

"And what is Kitty leaving out?" Isabela asked him suddenly.

"Hey!" Cat complained.

"Not much," Hawke replied. "A couple of fights with demons. We've started working together as a group, practicing combinations of fighting styles to better counter any foe we meet."

"Smart," Isabela said, taking another drink. She looked over at Cat's full plate of food. "Eat up Kitty," she said with a smirk.

"Yes Mother," Cat said with a roll of her eyes. "I guess Varric can tell you about the other day then."

"My pleasure," Varric said with a nod, and Cat started eating as Varric told Isabela of their most recent travels out to the Bone Pit, their sojourn after Javaris, and finally the mess that was the poisonous gas cloud in Lowtown.

"This was all for the Qunari?" Isabela asked uncertainly.

"Not exactly," Hawke answered. "The Arishok said he was just letting us know, since I had some semblance of honor or something like that. But after we returned this morning to let him know the outcome, I no longer believe it."

"Wha naw?" Cat asked, her hand covering her mouth that was still full of food.

"Why not?" Hawke asked, and Cat nodded. "Well, we went and told him about the actual thief, and explained what she had said about getting help from some humans in the city. I had thought he would be concerned for his people, and the growing tension and hatred in the city, but he just shrugged it off."

"Typical," Isabela muttered.

"Then, he says something about the city trying to lay troubles at his feet, and Daisy speaks up," Varric added. He cleared his throat and spoke high to mimic Merrill, "but your feet didn't do anything… did they?"

Cat chuckled. "Typical Merrill…" she said.

"Then the Arishok starts listing all the problems with our city-" Hawke said.

"And Hawke just gives him and angry look and says, 'save the lecture' and turns away," Varric interrupted with a grin. "The Arishok did not like that…"

"He surely didn't," Hawke agreed with a smirk. "Basically yelled at me to stop and listen, asking how I can justify all the corruption around me… as if the whole city was somehow __my__ responsibility because I have an ability to lead a crew that is strong?"

Cat could tell by the look on his face that Hawke thought the whole idea ludicrous, and smiled.

"And?" Isabela prodded.

"And I told him that this was a free city. People are free to live their lives as they choose." Hawke gave a sarcastic laugh. "He just looked at me, stunned, and said, 'you… like it?' Then tries to convert me."

"No, really?" Cat asked, and Isabela looked intrigued.

"Probably not in actuality," Hawke relented. "But he surely tried to get me to understand how much better everything would be if everyone was as certain of their role, and their purpose as those under the Qun."

"I didn't think they cared about convincing anyone," Isabela said with disdain. "Normally they just brainwash their enemies, don't they?"

"I wouldn't know," Hawke replied. "This is my first dealings with them, and I must say, they confuse the hell out of me."

"I only know what I've heard," Isabela stated. "and rumors can hardly be trusted."

"So then what happened?" Cat asked, wanting to get back to the story. "You told him, no thanks?"

"Pretty much," Hawke said with another smirk. "He wondered aloud if the weaker people would feel the same, but then said it wasn't his purpose to convert."

"So why bring it up?" Cat asked.

"Like I said… confusing," Hawke replied.

"Then, Hawke asked what his purpose was, and told the Arishok it was taking too long, whatever it was," Varric said.

"You didn't…" Cat said with wide eyes.

"Again, not in those words, exactly…" Hawke said with a narrowed look at Varric. "Must you embellish?"

"I'm just making the story more exciting," Varric replied.

"It was exciting enough," Hawke muttered. "That didn't go over well, and after a lot of yelling about being robbed, and having to recover their property being their true purpose, he told us that they are not going anywhere until they reclaim whatever it is that they lost."

"And then… told us we should be __grateful__ he hasn't decided to do more than that," Varric added. "Then, kicked us out."

Hawke raised an eyebrow as Cat and Isabela looked at each other. He hadn't forgotten his need to learn their silent language, and mentally moved it higher in priority on his personal list.

"Definitely glad I didn't go," Cat finally said, putting more bread in her mouth.

"Agreed," Isabela said. "If they are this volatile, I'd prefer Kitty not be involved with them at all." Cat rolled her eyes at Isabela, but didn't disagree. "Well, since I'm back, I suppose you can count on my help in your next venture," Isabela said to Hawke. "those not involving Qunari, that is."

"You're welcome along," Hawke said with a smile. "I've missed your stealthing abilities."

"I'm sure," she purred, and Cat smiled, making an eye roll to Varric.

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" Cat asked.

"Sundermount," Varric said with a smirk, and Cat shrugged. "though I doubt it will be as exciting as last time."

"Don't say that Varric," Cat teased. "You'll hurt Issy's feelings. She always thinks things are more exciting when she's involved."

"Too right," Isabela added with a smirk.

* * *

"I cannot thank you enough for coming," Arianni said to Hawke as she led the way to Keeper Marethari.

"It is no trouble," Hawke replied courteously. "How is Feynriel faring?"

Arianni face dropped, looking as if she would cry. "I am afraid, I do not know how to explain it. His dreams have been troublesome for some time, and was the reason we sought help in the first place. But now… it is even worse."

"Worse?" Hawke asked.

"The Keeper assures me it is not so, yet I feel the demons have taken him."

"Why would you think that?" Anders asked.

Arianni didn't turn as they arrived at a large tent. "We cannot waken him," she said softly as she opened the tent flap, and gestured them inside.

Hawke walked in, noticing the sparse furnishings. Though the space was large there was only a single cot, with Feynriel laying on it. Marethari sat nearby, appearing as if meditating or something similar. She opened her eyes and stood as the group entered the tent.

"Andaran Atishan Hawke," she said.

"Hello Marethari," Hawke replied. "Arianni tells me Feynriel will not wake?" he asked, getting right to the point.

"I am afraid I have not been able to help him as I was wanting to," she replied. "His powers are very rare, and have not been seen in ages."

"Oh?" Hawke asked, looking over at the sleeping boy again.

"He is what we call a Somniari, or a dreamer."

Fenris tensed as he heard this, and Anders gave a low whistle. "What?" Hawke asked turning back. "What does that mean?"

"I've only ever heard about it," Anders replied. "Where most are unaware of being in the fade when dreaming, and mages, though aware, can only somewhat influence the specific piece of the fade they are in… a dreamer has the ability to enter the fade as he chooses, shaping controlling and shaping it around him. If he is powerful enough, he could change others' dreams, or even kill them through their dreams while they sleep, rendering them tranquil."

"I have heard as much," Marethari said sadly. "I have no ability with such powers, and have been unable to help Feynriel in controlling them. With such a power, when in the fade it attracts all demons that are wanting to control him." She looked back at Hawke. "Luckily, most dreamers are frail of mind, and do not survive possession. A Dreamer-Abomination would be nigh unstoppable."

"So I just need to enter the fade and find him?" Hawke asked. "Sounds easy enough."

"The great elves of the Dales were experts in the somniari arts, and with this ritual could send a number of people into the fade, even those without magic. I've recreated it as best as I can, and we will use Arianni here as a focus for Feynriel to return through the veil."

She looked around, for a moment, speaking to everyone. "Excuse us please, I must speak with Hawke alone."

Cat followed the others outside of the tent, hearing Merrill say something about hoping to see the ritual first hand. Anders grabbed her arm, and pulled her away, with Fenris following and blocking them from the others.

 _"_ _ _Cat, what can you tell us?"__ Anders whispered.

Cat glanced around, noting that they didn't have anyone around them, and she leaned forward. _"_ _ _She's asking Hawke to kill him if he gets possessed. It will make him tranquil, but it's better than the alternative,"__ she whispered back.

 _"_ _ _I worry about going into the fade,"__ Anders said. _"_ _ _I don't know what will happen, and I've been avoiding it since I merged with Justice."__

Cat gave him an understanding smile. _"_ _ _Basically, you'll switch places. Justice will be in control and speaking, and you'll be the passenger just along for the ride."__

Anders' face screwed up in a wince, at the thought. _"_ _ _Does Hawke need me to go?"__ he asked her.

Cat shook her head as she glanced up and around again. _"_ _ _Pretty much everyone that does go is tempted by a demon, and every one gives in to it, except Sebastian, though I am certain he doesn't want to go. Issy won't care, one way or the other, but Aveline will suffer for it, so she shouldn't go either."__

 _"_ _ _And me?"__ Fenris asked.

 _"_ _ _If Merrill goes, it will target her, not you. But if not, you will be its target,"__ she answered. _"_ _ _Hawke will understand, and forgive. But there is a moment when those that give in fight against Hawke."__

 _"_ _ _And if neither Merrill or I go?"__ he asked.

 _"_ _ _Um… Varric I think."__

 _"_ _ _And what about you?"__ Anders asked Cat. She gave him a shrug in reply, but before she could say anything, Marethari and Hawke stepped out of the tent.

"I believe with the power of the ritual, I can send three or four of you into the fade after Feynriel." Marethari said to Hawke. "Choose carefully, as all will face temptation."

Issy smirked as she glanced over at Hawke. "I __never__ give in to temptation," she said loudly.

"Opinions?" Hawke asked.

"Demons have a hierarchy in the fade as well," Anders said thoughtfully. "The more powerful will have scared off others, so we will face powerful demons there."

"The Keeper said his mind is frail, so the demon will need to convince him to offer himself," Merrill added. "If trying to force possession, his mind will break, and it will kill him."

Marethari smiled at Merrill in pride. "Indeed. The same is also true for you, Hawke. You will need to help him decide to reject their offers. If you simply point it all out, his mind will not be able to handle it."

"Better and better," Hawke muttered.

"I will go... but Anders should not," Fenris said, and everyone looked to him in surprise. "He has a spirit inside of him, and who knows how it will react inside the fade."

Hawke looked thoughtful, and then glanced at Anders who nodded. "Very well," he replied. "Anyone else that should not go?"

"I do not belong in a world of dreams," Sebastian stated. "I will remain here."

Hawke nodded again.

"I think you should have a well rounded team," Anders said. "If Fenris is your warrior, you should also take a rouge, just in case."

"Good idea," Hawke replied. Looking at Varric, who looked less than thrilled at the idea, he turned to Isabela. "Guess you're in Isabela," he said.

"Of course," she said, sauntering over to Fenris. "You need your best after all. Wonder what he dreams about?" she asked him, and Fenris merely shook his head.

"Maybe one more?" Cat asked, thinking that Hawke would be alone if he only took those two, and that could be a recipe for disaster.

"If you wanted to come, you should have just volunteered," Hawke smirked at her.

"Oh! No, I didn't mean me," she replied quickly.

"This should be fun!" Isabela said as she grabbed Cat's arm. "Like old times, eh Kitty?"

"Uh…" Cat had no words as Isabela pulled her forward toward the tent. Fenris gave her a concerned look, but she just shrugged at him. __If I give in to a demon, I'll just wake back up here, right?__ she thought.

"Very well, we will start the ritual. Arianni, I need you in the tent to help Feynriel focus. Everyone else, please relax and let my people know if you need anything." Marethari nodded to those that were staying outside of the tent, as they lowered themselves to the ground, and prepared to wait. Then she followed Hawke and his three companions into the tent.

"If you will all lie down here," she said. "Hawke, next to Feynriel please, and so on." She nodded as they got into place. "Now, close your eyes. When you no longer hear my voice, open your eyes, and you will find yourselves in the fade. You should be nearby Feynriel, and can help him."

Cat listened as Marethari gave her final instructions, wondering what she was going to do when her friends turned to fight against them. __Let's be real here,__ she thought. __Most likely, it will be when I turn to fight against them…__

Hearing Hawke's voice instead of Marethari's, Cat's eyes flew open. She could have sworn she was still lying down, but as she glanced around the hall, she felt as if she was simultaneously sleeping and awake, and it was __very__ disconcerting. Like a really vivid dream, and she smirked as she pinched her own arm. __Ow! Guess I am awake… sort of. So weird!__

She looked around to see the others having the same reaction, and hearing Hawke say, "Let's go."

She followed them toward a door, looking back for the floating book, and finding it flitting around. She turned around, and reached after it, giving chase as it stayed out of her reach. She didn't notice until she ran into Fenris that he had turned back to see what she was doing, and had caught the book without a problem, and handed it to her with a smirk.

"Not fair," she told him with a smile. "Your arms are longer than mine."

"Oh yes?" he asked. "It had nothing to do with being faster than a floating book?"

"Not at all," she grinned, as she looked down at the book. She looked up as she felt the others approach, giving Hawke a small smile. "Sorry, I saw a floating book," she said by way of an explanation.

"So you decided to catch it?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well yeah, who wouldn't?" she asked in reply, with a grin, and held out the book for him.

He smiled back as he took it, and Cat had to remind herself not to blush. __We've been through all of that, remember?__ she told herself.

"Whoa," Hawke said, and Cat reached out to steady him, as he looked a little wobbly.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah… I just opened it, and felt strange."

"Strange how?" she asked, as Fenris took the book from him and he and Isabela looked through it.

"Like… like a thousand thoughts all coming to me at once."

"Hmm… that __is__ strange."

"I do not feel that," Fenris said, as he continued to leaf through the book.

"Well, all I did was open it," Hawke said as he grabbed the book back. He randomly opened to another page, but looked disappointed. "Nothing happened."

"Whatever it was, it seemed it only happened once," Isabela commented. "Should we continue?"

"Yeah," Hawke replied. "Let's go."

Cat shot glances at Hawke as they walked, wondering what it was that had happened. In the game, there were small puzzles that gained Hawke attribute points, making him stronger or learning a new spell. But here? Cat was flummoxed, wondering if completing the barrel puzzled would give the same result.

As they approached the room with the first barrel puzzle, Cat decided to try.

Hawke looked in the room, and left the door wide. "Huh, just some random barrels. That's strange to have them here in a dream, isn't it?"

She glanced in the room, then said, "Perhaps Feynriel likes puzzles."

The other three looked back at her in confusion. "Why would you say that?" Hawke asked.

She pointed back at the room. "The barrels were set up in a puzzle. You try to move all the smaller barrels to the top and the large to the bottom in fifteen moves or less."

"So, it's some kind of game?" Isabela said, looking dubious. "Feynriel didn't seem the type…"

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try," Cat said. "Perhaps it will give us more insight into Feynriel's character?"

Hawke seemed doubtful, but he turned back anyway, not wanting to let something simple hinder him from helping the lad. "So I just switch the top and bottom barrels?" he asked as he walked over to them.

"One barrel at a time, and you can only move it one space, not through other barrels." Cat explained as she walked over. "See this empty space on the end? That's the only place you can move something to."

"Oh, I get it." Hawke stood for a long moment looking over the puzzle in front of him. "Okay, got it." He started moving barrels one by one, and Cat counted his moves aloud.

"and Fourteen." Cat finished as Hawke moved his last barrel into place. "You win."

Hawke turned to face her, and she watched, fascinated, as his eyes blinked rapidly. It seemed like it was uncontrolable, and she wondered what was happening.

"Hawke?" she asked. She repeated her same question from earlier, "you okay?"

Hawke swayed slightly as his eyelids stopped their movement. "What was that?" he asked.

"How do you feel?" she questioned, as Fenris and Isabela walked over.

"What is going on here?" Isabela asked, looking around.

"Hawke won… and got… a reward?" Cat said. "I think?"

"Got something anyway," Hawke mumbled. He stood upright, and looked around at them. "I think… it's hard to describe, but I feel like my mana reserves just increased."

"What?" Fenris asked.

"I know…" Hawke replied with a smirk. "I'm having a hard time believing it myself."

"Well, maybe we should look around some more," Isabela said, as she started out of the room. The others followed behind her, hearing her call out from the hallway. "Found some more barrels!"

Cat followed Fenris and Hawke into the next room, looking at the four red barrels lined up with the regular ones. "Strange…" she murmured.

"Should someone else try this one?" Hawke asked.

"We are not mages," Fenris answered.

"True, but…" Hawke paused. "Okay, I guess I'll go again." He walked forward to look at the barrels. "Cat?" he asked. "You know what the point of this one is?"

"Uh, stacking the red barrels in the center?" she replied.

"Are you just guessing?" he asked with a frown.

"Sort of?" she replied again, and he looked back at her crossly.

"Fine, we'll try that then." He took a few minutes again to stare at the puzzle then began moving the barrels. Upon completion, he called out, "Whoa!" and fell over.

"Hawke!?" the three of them cried, moving over to help him.

As they sat him up, he grinned, and they were all taken aback.

"You okay?" Cat asked yet again.

"Never better," Hawke replied as he moved to stand. "I think I just figured out that healing spell."

"What?" Fenris asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's strange, but I was thinking that I'd prefer to know more spells instead of having a bigger mana pool. And it just came to me, in a flash. I know what I've been doing wrong."

"Well, how about you wait on trying until you're back with Anders, just in case…" Isabela said, giving Cat and Fenris a look that said she thought Hawke had gone crazy.

"Yeah, we should find Feynriel," Cat agreed.

"Okay!" Hawke grinned, and started down the hallway to a final door. Cat could see the baffled looks on her friends' faces, before she smiled and followed after him.

* * *

"Oops…" Hawke said snarkily to the demon. "That's my bad. You see, I was trying to help, honest."

"Oh? Then you won't mind if I help your pets find another path as well…" the demon said as it floated over to Cat and Isabela. "You think your pirate queen would stay with you? If she had a ship and crew waiting?"

"Why?" Isabela smirked at it. "You happen to have any extra laying around?"

"Indeed," the demon purred. "A two mast brigantine, and a hundred eager lads," she offered. "I've named it, the Siren's Call two."

"It has a nice ring," Isabela offered, though Cat could tell she was entranced with the idea.

"It's all yours my pet. All I want in return is help in a fight."

"I do like fights," Isabela said, and the demon turned her to face the others of her group.

"Just the two of us, against the three of them… and the ship is yours."

"Issy…" Cat said half warning, half pleading. Isabela glanced over, and something crossed her expression.

"I won't fight that one," she said to the demon.

"Very well, just the other two then," it replied, tilting it's head as it peered at Cat.

"Wow, I've never had anyone talk out their plan of stabbing me in the back right in front of me before," Hawke said sarcastically to Isabela. "Should I just turn around so you don't have to strain yourself?"

"You are just the sweetest," Isabela said with a smirk, as she pulled her daggers out. "You know me well enough to know what's best for me comes first."

"No!" Cat yelled as Isabela threw a smoke bomb at her own feet, disappearing into stealth. She glanced around, trying to spot her, and found the desire demon approaching her.

"She desires your safety as much as you desire hers," the demon said with a smile. "But yours is broader is it not? Wanting the safety of the others as well."

"So?" Cat spat back. "That only happens when you're gone." She reached back, pulling out her own daggers, and pointing them at the demon.

"I am more powerful than the others you have encountered," it said. "I can actually give you what you desire." It circled around her, and she followed without letting her daggers fall. "Your life? Your home? This can all be a dream…"

"Don't listen to it!" Fenris yelled out. "Fight it!"

"Your mother and father… they miss you," it cooed at her. "They have never given up hope of seeing you again."

"They are not all…" it said softly, and Cat felt her arms getting heavy, and her eyes filling.

Hawke looked back, seeing Cat's arms lower slowly. "You got this?" he asked Fenris who nodded, as Isabela charged at him.

His tattoos flared, and he reached out and grabbed her throat, even as her daggers pierced his arms. He gave a hard twist with his wrist, feeling her neck snap, and then his hand was suddenly empty, as if she had not been there in the first place. He winced as he pulled the dagger from his arm, watching as it turned to smoke where he dropped it.

Hawke went for the demon, almost flinging lightning in his haste, but quickly pulling back before he did something that would hurt Cat. He moved his staff and called his mana to form stone, waiting until the demon moved into the perfect spot to send a large stonefist directly at it.

"Your husband," the demon said, and Hawke's eyes widened in shock, as he saw Cat's face crumble. "He misses you so… and continues to look for you. I can take you there, you can see how he has changed, how he realized how much he __needs__ you."

Hawke shook himself out of his stupor as Cat fell to her knees and sobbed. He shot his stone fist, taking the demon away from Cat, and followed through with attack after attack until the demon was no more.

Turning back, panting from the exertion, he saw Cat was hugging Fenris tightly, as he rubbed circles on her back. He waited, until Cat was calm before he spoke.

"We should move on," he said softly.

* * *

"Cat, I want you to wait here," Fenris said quietly.

"But-"

"I don't want you to be near another demon right now," he interrupted her. "I don't want you to see me give in to such weakness, and I most assuredly do not want to have to fight you. Please."

Cat glanced up at his face, then over at Hawke, who was waiting at the door. She stepped back with a nod. "I'll be out here," she said gesturing to the hallway they had entered.

Fenris nodded, and strode over to where Hawke waited. "Good idea," Hawke told him quietly. "I was worried as well."

Fenris acknowledged him, wishing he could apologize in advance for what would happen, wishing that he could be stronger… but he just gestured to the door. "Shall we?"

Cat waited for what seemed like an eternity, until she heard the footsteps in the hall. She threw open the door in front of her, and saw Hawke alone, looking so forlorn that she wanted to just wrap him up in a hug.

"I'm sorry…" she said as he neared her.

"It's not your fault," he replied. "I hope… they are not tranquil. They aren't mages, so they should be all right… I think."

"I think you're right about that," she answered. "Do you want to take a break before we go see Feynriel?"

"Yes, but I don't want to be here any longer than I must," he said. "Let's go."

They walked out into the main hall, and saw Feynriel looking around in confusion.

"Feynriel?" Cat asked, and he turned to them.

"Is it really you?" he asked. "If so, then it is the second time I owe you my life, both of you." He looked around, a look of awe on his face. "The fade… seems different now. I can see the seams, where the dreams of others are stitched together."

"If you do not master your powers, demons will continue to hunt you," Hawke stated bluntly. "The Keeper has said that she cannot give you what you need here."

"Then there is only one option left," Feynriel said. "There must be someone in Tevinter that can help me."

"Be careful of who you trust there," Cat warned. "There are many that would use you even as the demons wanted to."

Feynriel's face fell. "I… I don't know what else to do."

"I think you were right," Cat replied. "You can find help there, just do not trust too easily." She paused wondering quickly if she was making some sort of horrendous mistake. "Uh, I don't know many magisters, but…"

He looked up, hopeful. "But?"

"I know of a family by the name of Pavus. They are good people, and do not practice blood magic. I have only heard of them though, so I cannot give you a letter of introduction or anything."

"It is more than I had a moment ago," Feynriel replied looking more confidant. "Thank you my friends." He turned and with a wave of his hand, the fade swirled in front of them, and he stepped through.

"You're just one surprise after another," Hawke said, and Cat glanced over at him. He was still watching where Feynriel had left.

"Oh?" she asked. "I thought you were used to me bursting into tears in front of desire demons by this point."

The corner of his lip rose, but he just shook his head. "It's nothing to be upset about," he told her. "They pluck things from our minds and hearts and display them before us, as if they were possible." He turned now to look at her, but she had begun to look at the ground. "Many do not see it for what it is, let alone fight against it." He snorted. "Just look at Isabela."

Cat glanced up now, worried. "Please don't be mad at her," she said. "I know she can be impetuous, but she wouldn't truly betray you."

"What did she think that was, a dream?" Hawke asked sarcastically. He took in her worried expression, and smiled. "I'm not mad. She's been up front all along, and I've known that once she gets a ship, she'll be gone." He paused. "And so will you."

"Uh…" Cat wasn't sure what to say. She didn't ever think about what would happen in the future, but she was fairly certain she wouldn't be sailing off with Isabela… unless she was going to meet up with Duran… __Ugh, this is why I don't want to think about it!__

She didn't get a chance to say anything, as she watched Hawke fade in front of her, and she opened her eyes to see Fenris and Isabela sitting beside her prone form.

"You're back!" Isabela cried out. "It's about time!"

"Your friends awoke here some time ago," Marethari said with a smile. "As did Feynriel. He told us of his plans, and I must agree." She gave Hawke and Cat a nod in respect. "You accomplished a miracle with him. Ma Serannas!"

Hawke took a deep breath, and stood. "Our pleasure," he replied, and turning, left the tent. Fenris and Isabela both looked at Cat, who shrugged.

"Probably just wants some fresh air," she suggested. "Actually… that sounds kind of wonderful right now." She squeezed her friends' hands as they helped her stand, and escorted her out of the tent.


	53. Chapter 53

Okay, so I know that this is late... let me just say that. That being said, I will not regale you with the tale, but there's a very good reason. And of course, wanting to have a good chapter was part of it. Nothing like having to wait and not knowing why, to get a dinky, not good chapter.

And now that I said that, hopefully this chapter is good.

\- Also, thank you to the guest that let me know that I had a chapter double posted. I believe I fixed the problem. Thanks!

* * *

"So Merrill," Hawke began speaking loudly. "We're here at the camp… didn't you say you had something to ask Keeper Marethari?" He asked, giving her a pointed look.

Merrill looked panicked at being put on the spot, and Marethari just smiled serenely and asked, "Yes da'len? What is it?"

Merrill looked as if she was in a stupor, saying "I… I … I …uh," causing Hawke to step over and put his hand on her shoulder, giving her his support, but not asking for her. She took a deep breath, and glanced at him with a timid smile, then turned back to the keeper and rapidly said, "I want to use the arulin'holm, Keeper."

"I see," Marethari answered, her hopeful expression replaced by one of grudging acceptance. "You wish to repair the mirror."

"You don't have to approve, Keeper, but I must see this through."

"I'm glad to know I can disapprove da'len," she replied tersely. "You are seeing only the benefits this path will give. Do you not remember Tamlen? Lost in the mirror before it was broken? Or Mahariel? Poisoned by it and withered away unto death by its corruption?"

"Of course I remember… how could I forget?!" Merrill exclaimed. "That is why I had to cleanse it!"

"This path is dangerous da'len. It will come at a price." Marethari spoke, even as she gave up arguing.

"A price I am more than willing to pay," Merrill responded. "The arulin'holm, Keeper."

"Very well," Marethari answered. "It belongs to us all, and I cannot keep it from you." She glanced around speculatively at Hawke and his group, thinking she could fell two birds with one stone.

"There is a varterral, nearby, and several hunters have not returned," Marethari said. "I would lose no more of our clan to it. Slay it, and I will give you the arulin' holm."

"All right!" Merrill agreed happily, feeling as if things were finally going right. She had stood up to the keeper, after all. Perhaps she could do other scary things!

Marethari nodded to Hawke, and stepped away. Hawke then turned to Merrill. "Now, was that so hard?" he teased.

"Harder than you know," Merrill answered, as her legs still felt shaky. "But I did it!" She turned to face Hawke. "And I couldn't have, without your help. Ma serannas Hawke!"

"No problem," he replied. "But now I need you to explain what is happening."

She smiled at him, and turned to lead him away from the camp, towards the caves where the hunters had gone. He gestured to the group as they walked, all of them stepping in and following after them as Merrill spoke.

"The artifacts the clan possesses are part of the dalish's history, and therefore belong to all dalish," she explained. "However, when we are to take one of themfor our use, we perform a task or service to the one we receive it from. In this case, we are doing a service for the clan, since that is who has the arulin' holm now."

"I see," Hawke replied. "And what, dare I ask, is a varterral?"

"A powerful creature," Merrill responded. "Normally it leaves our people alone… but the Keeper said that some hunters have not returned."

"Do we need to find these hunters as well?" Varric asked.

"No, though I would like to look for them," Merrill answered.

"Then we will," Hawke said.

The group was quiet as Merrill led them on. They could see the barren ground around them, completely different from the area the dalish were camped on. There was the dark maw of a cave in the distance, and they walked towards it without hesitation.

* * *

"Oh… Holy Hell!" Cat exclaimed as she sank to the ground, and took a closer look at the spider bite on her arm. She marveled at the fact that it got her only on the underside of her arm… it hadn't been able to pierce through her armor on the top.

"Let me see it," Anders said as he knelt down next to her. He gently took her arm, turning and raising it so that he could have a better view. "It's not too bad, though I'll need to get the poison out."

"That thing poisoned me?!" Cat demanded. She glanced over to her right, all the more angry and threw a small knife at the spider's corpse, where it stuck in it's head.

"Did that make you feel better?" Varric asked with a smirk, as he stepped over to get her knife for her.

"Yeah, actually, a little," she admitted.

"You're lucky it wasn't worse," Merrill spoke up. "These two were wasp spiders… very dangerous, and highly poisonous."

"Uh… Merrill?" Hawke called from across the cavern. "You'd better come see this."

Anders finished up with Cat just as Merrill came back, followed by Isabela and Hawke. "Are you sure you don't want to take the body back?" Hawke asked Merrill.

"No, just the amulet will be fine," she answered sadly. She held up the amulet and looked at it closely. "This signified her place as a hunter, and her family will keep it in remembrance."

"Very well," Hawke replied. "Shall we move on?" He asked everyone as he looked around at them. Receiving nods, and answered with Cat and Anders standing, he led out and the others followed.

Cat ended up being right behind Hawke and next to Merrill, so she decided to chat, and hopefully help raise Merrill's spirits.

"So Hawke, where's Hafter lately?" she asked. "It seems you don't bring him along much, and I miss the big guy."

"I'm certain he misses you as well," Hawke replied, slowing down slightly to converse. "Or, I should say he misses being spoiled by you."

"Then bring him with you next time!" she said with a chuckle.

Hawke gave a small smile before his face fell again. "Ever since we moved to the estate… well, let's just say I don't like to leave Mother unprotected."

"Oh," Cat replied. "That… makes complete sense, and I hadn't even thought of that. I'll have to just come spend time with Hafter when you are home then."

Hawke glanced over at her at the comment. "You're more than welcome to."

"Okay, we'll have to go over your schedule, so I know when to come then," she answered with a grin.

He smiled in reply. "Varric and I usually go over the schedule in the Hanged Man after the day's work. You can join us if you'd like," he offered.

She nodded. "I'll do that," she answered. "I was planning to go anyway to spend time with Issy, you know," she dropped her voice, _"_ _ _before she gets drunk."__

"I don't get drunk every night," Isabela said from several feet behind them. "I only have enough to have a good time."

Cat turned and smiled. "Of course," she replied, and rolled her eyes.

"I leave for a few days, and you get all sassy on me," Isabela said with a smirk.

"Try weeks, and I've always been sassy," Cat replied, as she turned to face Isabela as she walked backwards.

"I prefer to think that you got your sass from me," Isabela retorted.

"Hey," Hawke interrupted. "Didn't I tell you not to do that?" he griped at Cat.

She rolled her eyes and turned back around. "I do know how to walk backwards without falling…" she muttered under her breath. Seeing his glare, she quickly changed the subject.

"So, would you prefer I stop all the hugs and kisses then?" she asked him, her mind recalling that he said she spoiled his mabari. He gave her a strange look, so she clarified. "I mean, I just love him, but if you think I'm spoiling him, then I'll stop."

"Uh…" Hawke said, baffled. "I know I lead the group Cat, but I… uh… you don't need my permission to hug or kiss someone…" he fidgeted uncomfortably, trying not to show how upset he was.

"Well yeah," she agreed. "But you're in charge of him, so I don't want to do anything you wouldn't like."

"Uh…" Hawke said again, as this time he came to a stop. He turned to face her, noting that Cat was smiling happily at him. __In fact,__ __everyone looks a little too happy right now,__ he thought as he took in the expressions on the others' faces. He glanced between Fenris and Anders several times, trying to discern if one of them was who Cat was talking about- she was quite close with both of them- but was unable to know for sure.

"Look…" he snipped. "I'm not in charge of everything Cat, just the jobs."

"What?" she questioned, confused by both his words and his tone. "He's your dog, isn't he?" she asked. She turned as well, looking at Varric. "Did I misunderstand?"

"No Little dove," Varric replied with a chuckle. "Hawke did," he said as the group tried to hold in their laughter, though a few snickers were heard. Cat's eyes widened slightly in understanding, before she too, held her mouth to keep her laughter in.

"Permission to get lucky tonight Hawke?" Isabela asked with a laugh, and the group let loose as Hawke glared at them.

"Ahem… " Hawke cleared his throat, trying to save face. "Yes, Cat, Hafter is mine, and no, I don't think you are truly spoiling him." He ignored Isabela's comment completely.

"If you didn't know I was talking about Hafter…" Cat said with a smirk. "Who __did__ you think I was talking about?" she asked.

"I had no idea," Hawke replied primly. "Hence my confusion."

"Of course," Cat replied with a grin. "Though to be clear, __I know__ I don't need your permission in my personal life."

That brought another round of snickers, and Hawke sighed loudly. "Yes, yes, very good," he said, wanting to change the subject quickly. He turned again and headed off, letting the others follow. __You idiot,__ he told himself. __You were there when the demon said her husband needed her. Her__ husband… __which meant he needed to finally follow Isabela's advice, and just be her friend.__

He wished Isabela had just told him straight out… so many things would now be different. __Like_ that_ __night…__ he thought.

He rolled his eyes as he heard continued jokes about what they would need to ask his permission for, and he wished fervently that something would happen to get them to drop this.

He got his wish, as corpses began to surround them. __Thank the Maker,__ he thought as he started his first spell.

* * *

"Little dove, what's wrong?" Varric asked later that evening. They had returned to Kirkwall a little richer and with plenty of fodder for his stories. He was happy as he could be at the moment, and he thought that most of the crew were as well.

 _ _Daisy had received her arula- whatever, and practically skipped through Lowtown on her way home. Blondie and Button were helping mages escape the circle tonight, which always put him in a good mood. Hawke had led them on do-gooder business that somehow made him and Aveline both happy. And even Broody had smiled as Rivaini made up a game about guessing the color of his underclothes.__

 _ _But the Little dove… ever since they had made it out of the caves and returned to the dalish camp, she had been unhappy. Even finding a demon-possessed book and destroying it hadn't helped her mood.__

He waited, but she didn't reply. "You know I'll keep asking, so you might as well tell me," he said to her. She looked up and around the table they were seated at in the Hanged Man, with Hawke and Broody.

"I'm upset about that hunter, Pol."

Varric paused, thinking back. "The one that ran from Daisy?" he asked, and she nodded.

"I can't help but think that if I had just reacted faster, I could have stopped him… __saved him,"__ she stressed the last part, and Varric could see the guilt she was carrying.

"Little dove," he said gently. "There was no way to know that he was going to run off, or that he'd run right into the varterral. Don't be too hard on yourself."

The stricken look on her face was as if he had reared back and slapped her, not tried to comfort her. Her eyes filled with tears, and his widened in shock. "What did I say?" he asked.

"Nothing," Fenris said as he gripped Cat's shoulder, turning her to look at him. "She'll be better after some sleep, right?" he asked Cat.

She recognized the way out he was giving her, and she gratefully took it, and nodded. "I'm sorry Varric, it's hard for me to not feel like I should have done more," she said to help set him at ease.

"Varric is right," Hawke added. "You do not give yourself enough credit. You continued after him, and tried to help him even as the varterral attacked. I don't know that anyone in the same situation could have done any better," he said with a small smile. "You did well today," he added.

"Thank you," she replied. "I will try to remember that."

"See that you do," Hawke replied, as Fenris stood, and left money for their food and drinks. Cat also stood, but Hawke stopped her.

"Cat," he said, and she turned to look at him. "Regret and guilt only eat away at you. Do not let them stay long, or you will never let them go… believe me."

Cat nodded, knowing some of the guilt and regret he carried with him daily. She only wished letting it go was that easy.

As soon as they had left the tavern, and began walking home, Fenris spoke. "They are right, you know."

"I think you of all people understand why they are not," she replied without looking at him.

"I understand," he said. "Were you not the first to tell me, that you are not some divine being… that you did not know the future? Can you truly tell me that trying to stop him would have been successful?"

"You know I cannot," she replied sulkily. "But I didn't even try!" She lowered her voice again as she realized how loud her outburst was. "I completely forgot about it! If I had just thought ahead… I probably could have saved him."

They walked in silence for awhile, reaching Hightown and their mansion without speaking. Fenris escorted her through the house and up the stairs, before clearing his throat outside of her room.

"I wanted to be sure that I had my words thought through, though they may still be inadequate," he started, causing her to roll her eyes with a smile.

"How often have I told you how eloquent you actually are?" she asked in return.

He cleared his throat the way he always did when embarrassed with praise. "I will not say that you have no fault or guilt in this, because I can understand why you think you do. I will only say that you also cannot take __all__ the blame."

After the months of friendship, and now as roommates, she had learned that he gradually would make his point, and so she waited for him to continue.

"Regardless of what role you may have played in this, he is still responsible for the consequences of his own actions. He __chose__ to run away. Whether you could have stopped him is not the issue. He could have stayed and faced what he feared. He could have tried to kill Merrill for being a blood mage. He could have run in another direction."

"Well… yes…" she said as she thought through these new ideas.

"You may regret your lack of action, but it is not the only factor in this. We all make decisions that we regret. As Hawke said… you can let it stay, or you can become better for it."

"Thank you…" she murmured, deep in thought.

"Good night Cat," he said with a nod, and turned away.

"Oh, and Fenris?" Cat called.

"Yes?" he said as he looked back.

"Your words, and your friendship, are far more than adequate, just so you know. Good night." She smiled to herself at the shock he wore whenever she caught him off guard with a compliment.

* * *

"Catarina, how nice to see you again."

"Thank you Leandra," Cat replied as the other woman came forward to grab her hand and squeeze it.

"What brings you here?"

"I came to get Hafter, though I need to make sure Garrett is home?" she said. "I promised I wouldn't leave you here alone."

"Oh that boy…" Leandra huffed. "Sometimes he acts as if he were the parent and I the child!"

"I think it is sweet," Cat replied, looking around the room that always seemed to fascinate her. The huge fireplace, the vaulted ceilings, the chandelier… it was all beautiful.

"That may be the reason I don't throw a fit about it," Leandra said with a chuckle. Her face became solemn as she continued. "He's been through so much loss, it is understandable why we hold on tightly to each other."

"That's true," Cat said with a gentle smile.

"We still have Carver… somewhere, but it is enough to know that I have not lost him completely."

"Yes, and he is in good hands," Cat said. "The Warden Commander and Constable are both great men who care deeply for those they are in charge of."

"Do you know them?" Leandra asked, surprised.

"Oh, uh… yes. I ran into them, literally, in Ferelden during the blight. They saved me from darkspawn and helped me get passage out on Isabela's ship. We write each other, though the letters are few and far between due to the distance and the fact that they are always on the move." Cat paused, looking at the hope on Leandra's face. "Um… I can ask about Carver in my next letter, if you'd like?" she asked.

"Would you?" Leandra said excitedly. "Any news you could get would be such a blessing! The Maker must have a hand in this, I am sure!"

Cat stood awkwardly as Leandra hugged her again and again. She wasn't quite sure how to handle herself, being that they weren't exactly close. So she stood there, and took her cues from Leandra.

"It's no problem, though not many know that I am friends with them, so…" Cat started.

"Say no more, I understand completely!" Leandra said with a knowing smile. "Truly, I don't know how I can thank you!"

"Really, it's nothing," Cat said with a smile. "I'm happy to."

"I know, while we wait for Garrett, let's have a snack and visit. Would you care to join me?"

"Thank you, that sounds lovely," Cat replied, feeling more comfortable already. Leandra simply had a way about her, that seemed to tear through any doubt or awkwardness that Cat had. Each time she met Hawke's mother, she liked her even more.

"Well come on then," she said as she took Cat's arm. I hope you don't mind that there aren't any servants," she stated as she led Cat to the kitchen. "I went so long doing things for myself, that we only have Bodahn and his son Sandal here with us to help run the house."

"I don't mind at all, as I've never had servants before," Cat replied with a grin. Leandra gestured towards a seat, and started making tea.

"You know, there was a time I was hoping that you had taken an interest in my Carver," Leandra said.

"Yes, I picked up on that," Cat said with a smile, and Leandra shrugged.

"You can't blame a mother for trying. We all just want to see our children happy."

"True, but you didn't even know me," Cat pointed out. "I'm pretty sure we would have made each other miserable."

"I agree, though it still saddens me," she answered. "You would have given me pretty grandchildren."

Cat spluttered at that, and felt something catch in her throat, causing her to start coughing roughly. Thumping her chest, she coughed and wheezed until she was able to breathe again.

"So- sorry," she managed to get out.

Leandra gave her a smile, and put a hand on her hip. "Struck a nerve, did I?" she said, then picked up the tray she had prepared, and brought it over to sit near Cat. Pouring them each a cup, she settled down and took a sip.

"So then, Catarina…" She gave Cat another smile that she was instantly wary of. "Every time we have run into each other, I've seen you with a different man… my sons included. Which one is yours?"

* * *

Hawke watched as Cat practically ran from his house as soon as he returned. He slowly turned to gaze at the woman at his side. "Mother? What did you say to her?"

"Hmm? Why, whatever do you mean darling?" she asked innocently. "We just had some tea and talked a little. Nothing for you to worry about."

"Nothing?" he stopped, knowing a losing battle when he saw one. "Mother, she couldn't leave fast enough," he said to prove his point.

"Well yes, dear. You took much longer than you said you were. I imagine she is late for meeting with the Knight Captain."

"What? The Knight Captain?! Why is she meeting him?"

"Oh, well I didn't think to ask…" she replied. "Should I have?"

"No, no." Hawke closed his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Tell me dear, what is it that troubles you?" she asked him quietly, and he sighed.

"I'm trying to be her friend. I'm having a rough go of it," he admitted. "I don't think I have her trust."

She led him over to the bench in the foyer, and they sat. "Why not? It is apparent that she respects you," she said.

"Not trust in fighting… more…" he broke off.

She smiled gently and squeezed his hand. "I know this is hard for you. Being who you are, your father felt it imperative to teach you to school your emotions from such a young age, in order to hide you better." They sat quietly for a few moments, and then she asked, "Is there an example you can think of?"

He nodded, as one such example had been on his mind all yesterday and through that day as well. "We were fighting some demons," he said, and he barreled on when he heard his mother's gasp. "And I was going to help her. She was not giving in, though the demon spoke of her husband."

He turned to look at her, expecting a gasp that time, but not hearing one. Leandra was deep in thought. "And… you didn't know that," she stated.

"No… I didn't. That is a rather important piece of information, and she kept it from me. __Me__ mother, not all of us… just me."

"Are you certain?" she asked, and he shook his head, somewhat sullenly.

"Did __you__ know?" he demanded.

She hesitated, but then nodded. "Though, I only found out today."

"How?!" he asked.

"I asked."

He stared at her in disbelief.

"Garrett, I think I see what the problem is here."

"What?" he asked, wincing, as he was sure he was going to be lectured.

"Friendship, the kind you are seeking here, is double sided. Eventually, the shared experiences you have will build that, but if you don't share of yourself, why would she?" Leandra stood up, reaching out a hand for him. "These other friends… so they spend time together, outside of the jobs you do?"

He nodded. "Constantly."

"I think you have your answer," she stated, and walked inside.

* * *

He peered out from under his hood, pulling it back slightly to keep his peripheral vision wide, but not so far as to reveal his features. It would do no good to spoil the surprise after all.

He watched as his target entered the tavern, and he settled himself to wait with a smirk. __I should give him time to celebrate…"__ he thought to himself, __seeing as he will be dead before the dawn__.

He was impatient, though the source was not the man he waited for that night. The last letter he received from Leliana was lacking the information he sought. He could hardly be mad at her, as she knew the task he was undertaking. And as a good friend, was helping him from making a decision that he may later regret.

 _ _So you don't know where Little dove is… Leliana agreed to pass on letters, and even promised not to read them. But have you written? No.__

He sighed inwardly. Why a letter should be so difficult, he couldn't say, but he had discarded each attempt. It was an ongoing argument inside his head, and he was once again at an impasse.

Zevran had sworn to protect her, and such oaths were not easily set aside. Yet from what Leliana had told him, his Dove had made herself a new life, and he didn't want to drag her back into the shadows with him.

He was told that Isabela was fulfilling her side of the bargain and more, and his dove could now take care of herself, but that only made him wonder, what __exactly__ Isabela had been teaching her.

He scowled. The thought was at once tantalizing and maddening. Until he saw with his own eyes, he would not be satisfied. Leliana knew this about him, and so, had ignored his request for her location- knowing that he needed to finish his self-appointed task.

 _ _And now we come to the crux of it all…__ Zevran thought. The most frustrating part of it was the monster he was trying to rid the world of. Yet with each kill, the monster grew instead of waned, and he found himself immersing back into the life he thought he escaped, in order to discover how to destroy it once and for all.

 _ _That is the greatest worry of all… that my little dove would be strong enough… and want to help. That… that I must prevent at all costs…__ Zevran steeled himself again, the argument taking its circular course, and ending as it had each time previously.

He glanced up at the movement, noting with a wicked grin that his target had exited the building. __Soon, Little dove,__ he thought. __I will finish this… soon.__


	54. Chapter 54- Hawke and Cat, Friends?

"Hawke."

"Hello Varric," Hawke replied, sitting at the table.

"Slumming it again? Don't you have better food at home?" Varric asked.

"Yes," he said with a smirk. "But not you. And what would I do without my trusty dwarf?"

"Fine," Varric smirked back. "But I wouldn't get the breakfast special if I were you."

"Noted."

They talked of inconsequential things as they ate, each enjoying having time to just relax without others hounding them. Eventually, Isabela drug herself from her room to join them, with Fenris walking in minutes later.

"Hawke gives you the day off, and you come to the Hanged Man?" Varric asked Fenris incredulously. Fenris simply raised a brow and stared back at him. "That's different," Varric said, understanding the implication. "I live here."

Fenris glanced over to Hawke who pointed to Varric. "I'm with him," Hawke said with a smirk, and Fenris shook his head with a small smile on his face.

"I'm here to help the pirate," he said, sitting down.

"And as soon as I wake up, we'll go," Isabela added, standing up and going to the bar.

"Helping with what?" Varric asked.

Fenris shrugged. "She didn't elaborate."

"I'm surprised Cat's not going too," Hawke said, causing Fenris' eyes to roll.

"I was as well, though it seems Isabela is keeping Cat as far from this relic business as she can. Cat was not happy about it at all, and left earlier this morning."

"So she's pouting," Varric said with a smile.

"Indeed," Fenris replied, looking up as Isabela returned with a cup of ale. "She feels like she's losing her friend, and doesn't understand why."

Isabela sighed, and took a long drink from her cup. Setting it down, she leaned in slightly. "You boys know as well as I do, this is the only way to keep her uninvolved. If she knew anything, she would insist on helping… it's just the way she is."

"And what's so bad about that?" Varric asked. "Little dove can hold her own, like the rest of us."

"It's not her skills that I'm worried about," Isabela muttered. "You don't know the people that want the relic, Varric. I've kept Kitty out of their sights for this long, though sometimes I don't know how. If they knew I cared about her…" she left the threat hanging in the air, and the mood turned somber.

"She wouldn't care about that," Fenris said. "She would want to help anyway."

"Exactly," Isabela replied. "So, if you'd do it differently… speak up."

In the silence, she knew she had made her point, but the whole talk had spoiled her mood, and her appetite.

"Let's just get this done," she said, standing up.

"I'll talk to her," Hawke volunteered, and the other three just stared at him. "What?" he asked, defensively.

" _ _You'll__ talk to her?" Varric said with a grin. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hawke muttered. "Enough of you have said I need to actually be friends with Cat, spending time… getting to trust each other, right?" He looked at each of them, scanning their faces for hints as to what they were thinking. "So, that's what I am going to do."

"Couldn't hurt…" Varric said with a shrug, looking at Isabela.

"Oh, it could…" Isabela added. "But I think it is worth a shot."

"But, we don't know where she is," Fenris pointed out. At Isabela's questioning look he added, "she took off earlier, upset."

"Angry upset? Or crying upset?" Isabela asked.

"Uh…" Fenris thought back. "If I had to say, I'd think angry."

"Then check the Keep. Knowing the time, and that she likes to hit things when she's angry, she most likely went to spar with the guards."

"Then, I guess that's where I'll start," Hawke said.

* * *

Hawke headed straight to the top, figuratively, stopping in Aveline's office first, and explaining that he was looking for Cat. Aveline escorted him out to the training area, using the walk to remind him that he said he would stop in the gallows to speak with Emeric.

"I didn't forget Aveline, it's on my schedule," Hawke said.

"Just how far down the list has it been bumped?" she replied dryly.

Saved from having to answer as they walked into the training grounds, Hawke and Aveline headed over to the crowd in the middle.

A few guards spotted their captain, and gave a quick salute. She let them know to be at ease by asking, "Who's winning?"

"Cat so far, though she hasn't taken a breather," the guard replied. "She's bested six of us, but now she's up against Melnor."

"Ooh," Aveline winced in sympathy. "She's lost to him before hasn't she?"

"The last four times they've sparred," the guard replied. "It's just starting if you want to stay and watch, Captain."

"Yes," Aveline said with a glance at Hawke, who was trying to see above the guards in front of him. "I think we will do that. Thank you."

She tugged on Hawke's sleeve, getting him to follow her around the group to the opposite side, where they would have better luck.

Hawke listened to the commentary as they moved, continuously trying to view the spar. From what he could hear, Cat was tricky, but Melnor wasn't fazed.

"Who is this Melnor?" Hawke asked Aveline as they finally moved into the circle, and Hawke was able to see the fighters. "Blood of Andraste! He's huge!"

"And packs a whallop," a guard next to him added.

"What's the rules? First blood?" Hawke asked the woman.

"Until the other yields," she replied, without looking away from the scene. Hawke looked at Cat, practically seeing the fire in her eyes, and knew she wouldn't yield easily.

"Hell…" he muttered, and settled in to watch.

* * *

It wasn't the most exciting fight she had ever witnessed, but watching Hawke's reactions to the fight was very entertaining. Aveline smiled as she thought of his earnestness in explaining how he was going to be Cat's friend, because that was what she had requested. Aveline herself, knew how difficult it was to care for someone that you saw every day on the job, wanting more and yet not wanting to ruin what was already there.

She smiled again as Hawke booed and started arguing with the guard next to him. She paid better attention, wondering what she had missed. Cat was tired, everyone could see it. She was sprawled on the ground, which had Aveline assuming she had been flung away after trying an attack. Melnor was advancing, and she could see by the way Cat was panting that she would not be able to stop the next attack.

Hawke could see it as well, and she grabbed him just as he made to move forward. "It's a spar," Aveline said quietly, and though he stayed where he was, she could tell how upset he was.

He surprised everyone by shouting out a cheer, "You've got him, Cat! Get up and finish it!"

Even the fighters looked over to Hawke but his eyes were on Cat, nodding to her, and mouthing, "get up!"

Cat seemed shocked, then determined, and finally a wicked grin crossed her face, and she winked back at Hawke. She jumped up and went in for the hit, Melnor dodged and countered with a backhand. Cat went flying back, her daggers dropping as she hit the ground, unmoving.

Everyone froze, and they heard Melnor cry, "Maker's mercy!" flinging off his helmet, and rushing for her. He was kneeling next to her, and the others waited with baited breath to hear how she was- the tension high, and the room silent. Aveline noted that she didn't need to hold Hawke back as she thought she would.

The movement seemed to come from nowhere, just that suddenly Melnor was on his back, with Cat straddling his chest, her small knife at his throat.

"Do you yield?" she demanded.

Aveline grinned as Melnor nodded rapidily, just so relieved that he hadn't hurt her. The room was in an uproar, and she pointedly ignored the money changing hands, as she strode forward.

"That was a dirty trick Cat," she heard Melnor complain, even as he ruffled her hair.

"Dirty tricks are the only way to beat you," Cat replied with a grin, and a pat on his chest.

"Great timing," Aveline said as she walked up. "It looked as if he had struck you with all his strength."

"I would never, Captain," Melnor promised.

"Good man," she replied. "Cat," she said as she turned to address her friend. "I hope you're done here, because it looks like Hawke needs you."

Cat's eyes followed Aveline's gaze to where Hawke was getting paid by a guard. She turned as well to smirk at Aveline. "Looks like Hawke's buying lunch, if you want to come too."

"You should probably get off of my guardsman first," Aveline stated. "But then, yes, I'll come."

* * *

"Can I see the throne room?" Cat asked as she walked with Aveline and Hawke through the Keep.

"You truly want to?" Aveline questioned.

"Well, yeah, it's not like it's open to the public. But if the guard captain is with me, no one will question it, right?" she asked.

Aveline glanced at Hawke, and he held up his hands in a surrender. "It's your call, not mine," he told her, and with a sigh, Aveline turned to head towards the throne room.

"Why doesn't it get used very much?" Cat asked, excited that they were going.

"The viscount knows that keeping everyone appeased is the best way to stay where he is, so he tends to meet with others in his office, giving them a feeling of being on equal ground." Aveline gave a small chuckle. "And he is not one for protocol," she added.

"Interesting," Cat replied as they walked to the closed doors. Aveline pushed them open, letting the two of them enter first, and then following after.

Cat turned around in a circle, getting the feel of the room. She could definitely feel the influence of slavers in the decor, and even the general layout. The throne was at the top of a flight of stairs, with a wall on all other sides, making it impossible to see anything besides the throne.

"Do you feel that?" Hawke asked suddenly.

Cat and Aveline exchanged glances, before answering, "No," and "Feel what?"

"Feels like… power. And malevolence," Hawke replied. He walked slowly, following the feeling, until he came up to a bench. "Hmm," he said, looking around.

"Well?" Aveline asked.

"Well nothing," Hawke replied. "I feel something, but see nothing."

"Uh, maybe it's hiding under the bench?" Cat asked, but she smiled as Hawke humored her, getting down to peer under the bench.

"I really should just start listening to you," Hawke said as he came back up with a book in his hand.

"That's what has you all worked up?" Aveline asked skeptically. "A book?"

"An __evil__ book," Hawke corrected. "Those blood mages that were trying to possess the templar recruits hid a few of these around Kirkwall, though I believe we almost have them all," he said.

"This makes four, if my count is accurate," Cat added in. "Demon in book form," she said to Aveline with a grin. "Nasty stuff comes out when we try to destroy it."

"Terrific," Aveline said with a groan as Cat and Hawke pulled out weapons. She followed suit, and though she hoped this was all an elaborate prank, she prepared herself for the worst.

"Here goes," Hawke said as his spell hit the open book. They all heard the otherworldly scream, as abominations surrounded them.

"The one on the stairs first!" Cat yelled out, and headed for the Arcane Horror. Hawke focused on damaging spells, letting Aveline shield him from the creatures. Cat shouted and waved her arms as she ran after each creature, distracting them so Hawke could get better shots. In no time at all, the room was clear, and the ruined book lay on the ground before them.

"Your ice spells are getting stronger," Cat mentioned as they made their way out from the throne room.

"I've been working on them in my spare time," Hawke said.

"Really?" she asked.

"Well, yes… Anders' are just so much better than mine…" Cat and Aveline laughed, and Hawke just smirked at them.

"I can relate," Cat said. "I hardly use my crossbow anymore, because my dagger skills are nowhere near Issy's."

"It's actually difficult to compare the two of you, your styles are so different," Aveline commented. "She relies on stealth, where you rely on distraction and trickery."

"True," Cat replied. "But the fundamentals are the same."

They stopped as the reached the Viscount's offices, and Hawke grimaced. "All right, I'll go make my report. If I'm not out in ten minutes… no, make that five minutes… come rescue me."

"No promises," Aveline said, which had Cat snickering, at Hawke's pouting face.

"Don't worry Hawke, we'll be right here waiting. You're buying us lunch, remember?" Aveline said as she gave him a small push.

Hawke had hardly been in the office for five minutes before the door opened again, and he came out shaking his head.

"That doesn't look positive," Cat said.

"Apparently, since the Arishok deigned to speak with me, the Viscount would throw all Qunari problems at my feet," Hawke grumbled as he stalked over to the next office, where the seneschal worked.

"What now?" Aveline asked.

"Something about a missing delegation," Hawke replied. "And the seneschal has the details," he said louder as he entered the room and walked up to Bran.

"I am to help you, yes," Bran said disdainfully. "Though I would prefer that you were not involved at all."

"You and me both," Hawke grumbled. "Well?" he asked. "What do you have for us?"

"As best we can tell, there were guards all along the path that the Qunari used to exit the building, and Hightown. It is unlikely that the Qunari could have disappeared without it being seen," Bran explained. "Since there was no report, they must be complicit."

Aveline's eyes narrowed, as she took the accusations personally. "Have any failed to report in?" she asked.

"Several," he replied. "Though where you should go to look for a guard who has sold his honor," he hesitated as he noticed the huge grin that Cat was sporting. "I'm sure I do not know."

"The Hanged Man," Hawke answered, with a tone that implied, "duh."

Cat nodded along. "The Hanged Man," she agreed, thrilled to have been a part of in game dialogue.

"Got to be," Aveline said with another nod.

"Well," the seneschal snapped. "You have your answer then."

* * *

Hawke strolled down the street with Cat, as they had nowhere to be until later when they were going to the Hanged Man with Aveline to find the soon-to-be-punished guards. She had demanded he buy lunch since he made money from her spar, and he supposed it was only fair.

He let her choose the stall, and they bought some fruit, cheese and bread. She then pulled him over to what was obviously a place she used often, a small patch of flattened rocks that provided a small sitting area where they could eat.

"Is this your regular spot?" he asked once they had settled down.

"Fenris and I will use it sometimes," she replied with a smile. "He is not one to spend a lot of time indoors during the day, so if we get lunch here, we'll sit here to eat."

"I must admit, I don't understand how you and Fenris became so close so quickly. He's been a tough nut to crack for everyone else."

Cat looked up, and seeing the curiosity on his face, she took it as a good thing. "I don't know that we understood it either," she replied with a smirk. "It just… happened. Going through fights together, learning about each other, asking A LOT of questions…" she trailed off. "I guess sometimes it just clicks into place easily, and sometimes you have to work for it."

She looked at him again, meeting his eyes and adding, "I guess you and I need to work a little for it, huh?"

"I think so," he replied as he ate another piece of cheese.

"One of my friends in Ferelden used to eat all the cheese too," she said with a smile.

"Oh?" he asked. "Like this?" he said as he snatched another piece from the shared wrapping between them.

"Not exactly," she said, smiling. "He was more of the type to pout at you until you gave him all the cheese… then you couldn't complain about it afterward, since you gave it to him in the first place."

"Was this the man who swore to protect you?" he asked.

Cat smiled again, as she was swamped with memories. "No, though the whole group was very insistent on keeping me safe."

"I can imagine that would be wonderful, even as it was stifling," Hawke replied.

She met his eyes again, curious that he understood. "I wouldn't have worded it that way, but yes, that pretty much sums it up. And why do you know what that feels like?" she asked.

"Growing up a mage, especially an apostate, meant always being careful… never being spontaneous," he answered. "Mother didn't really understand, she just wanted us to stay with our family, not be taken by the templars. But Father… he had lived in the circle, here in Kirkwall. He knew what it would take to stay safe."

"And he taught you," Cat surmised.

"That he did." Hawke finished eating and stretched his legs out, leaning back on his elbows. "Then Bethany and Carver came along, and it was more. Learning to care for others, to help my siblings so they wouldn't get hurt. Then when we discovered Bethany was a mage…"

"That was a lot for your shoulders alone," she said.

"Once Father died, yes, it seemed that way. Sacrificing what I wanted in order to take care of my family, or hide what I was. At the time, it seemed so unfair."

"It is… a little anyway," she replied. "though it can be worth it in the end."

"Sounds like you know what that feels like as well," he said with a smirk.

"Not quite to what you have gone through, but…" she shrugged. "I thought I would stay with my friends, but they had decided to send me away, in order to keep me safe from the blight."

She sighed, as she pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs in comfort. "They were all warriors, and I couldn't even look after myself, let alone help them. They were teaching me, but… I was just a distraction, really." She looked up again and smiled at him. "That's how I met Isabela and ended up on her ship. I didn't want to go, but knew I should… that was how I was going to help them."

"Why didn't they all just go on the ship with you? Staying during a blight has to be the worst decision ever," he said, confused. "Even for warriors of the greatest renown."

"Well… it was sort of their job," she admitted. "Come on, let's get moving," she said as she jumped up, leaving Hawke to scramble after her.

* * *

Cat and Hawke went around the city, informing their friends of the job that evening. Several couldn't be found, though Varric, Sebastian, and Merrill promised to join them later at the Hanged Man.

Being that there were still several hours until they were meeting, Hawke begged for Cat's opinion on presents, and she took finally took pity on him. As they walked into Hightown, she assumed they were going to the classier shops there. But soon they were walking to Hawke's home, and Cat spoke up.

"I thought I was going to help you buy presents?" she asked. "Why are we going to your house?"

Hawke smirked at her nervous tone, as he remembered the last time she was here, she had gotten interrogated by his mother. "No," he replied. "I have already bought presents, and I wanted your opinion on them before I gave them out."

"Oh," she said, feeling foolish.

"Besides, I really enjoyed lunch, and I thought we could do that again."

"You're hungry?" she asked.

"What?" he replied. "No."

"Then why do you want to do lunch again?"

He stopped at the door to his estate, looking at her face and seeing the genuine confusion. "I swear, if I didn't know better, I would think that you misunderstand me on purpose."

"Well maybe you should just say what you mean," she countered with a overly fake smile.

"All right," he said, opening the door, and letting her through to the foyer. He followed her in, and shut the door behind him, then turned to face her. "I enjoyed talking with you, both about my life, and hearing about yours. I would like us to be friends, Cat, like you are with Fenris, Anders, Isabela, and all the others. I feel like I am missing out on something."

Cat stood there, looking at him, unsure of how to react. She couldn't complain, she had asked him to speak plainly, and he had. __But… what exactly did he want from her? A friendship like she had with Fenris or Anders, or even to an extent Issy, carried a lot of things that she couldn't just go blurting out. Maybe starting small?__

"O-Okay," she finally said. "As long as you realize that isn't something that just happens in a day or two. We're not going to stay up all night and share life stories."

He looked away slightly, focusing on leading her into the house. "I admit, I am used to keeping people away, not making friends, and I am uncertain of how to go about it," he said, and Cat felt her heart soften into a gooey mess.

"Well, you're doing well so far," she said encouragingly. "Getting to know each other is a big part of it, as well as spending time together, which we already do."

He nodded along, as if checking off items on a mental list. "What else?" he asked.

"Well, uh, having things in common is helpful, enjoying the same activities, or having meals together…"

"All right," he said. "anything else?"

"Just, uh…" she put a little more thought into it, seeing as he was taking mental notes. "Being there for each other, making things easier" she added. "like you were today, at the Keep. Cheering for me, and helping me finish my spar." She grinned, "thank you for that, by the way. It was exactly what I needed."

He nodded, and waved away her thanks. "I think I've got the gist of it," he said. "I suppose I never had anyone that it actually took conscious effort to be friends with. It was more of a "you help me- I help you" situation, and then we were friends. This is a new experience."

"We'll muddle through it together," Cat said with a smile. "So, where are these presents?" she asked.

* * *

After making appropriate comments for the gifts that Hawke had thoughtfully picked up for his friends, Cat spent some time speaking with Bodahn and Sandal while Hawke read and answered some letters.

After a time, he returned, and suggested that she return home and change into her armor, since they didn't know how badly this situation with the Qunari would be. She agreed, and he got what he needed, and they headed out to her home.

"You don't seem very happy," he commented as they headed towards Lowtown. She hadn't taken long to change, but had been in a much more somber mood since returning downstairs.

"I love this armor, and don't want anyone to think otherwise," she said. "But… I don't like wearing it in the Hanged Man."

Hawke frowned. "Why not?" he asked.

"Well…" she said, slightly embarrassed, "it fits like a second skin, which is great in fights…"

"Yes?" he said, still unsure of what her point was.

"And the Hanged Man is a tavern full of drunk people…" she said.

"Right…"

She chuckled. "Now who is deliberately misunderstanding?" she questioned. "I get some unwanted attention there, that's all."

"Wait, really?" he asked. "I never noticed that."

"To be fair, you are usually doing the talking, with whoever or whatever the job is. It's not a big deal, I just try to avoid it whenever I can."

"But… we meet at the Hanged Man practically every day!" Hawke exclaimed. "This happens every time?!" he demanded.

"Well, yes, but like I said, it's not a big deal. No one actually __does__ anything, there are just usually some stares. Don't worry about it," she said.

"It __is__ a big deal," Hawke grumbled. "No one messes with __my__ crew." He glanced over at her. "I'll fix this," he promised.

"Hawke…" she began.

"No," he interrupted her. She fell silent, stealing glances his way. He continued to be a mystery to her, as he didn't ever seem to react as she would expect.

 _ _He's not Steven,__ she reminded herself, though she knew she constantly compared other men to him. While she had her father and brother, they were extremely mellow, never showing much emotion. Steven had been a whole new experience, and her time in Thedas was an entirely different one.

She had thought he would get a good laugh out of the situation, but it seemed that she had made him angry instead. Now as she glanced over again, she puzzled that he didn't seem angry… more focused, or determined. She wondered exactly what was going through his mind at that moment.

* * *

Hawke was embarrassed, and trying not to show it. He knew that Isabela enjoyed the attention she received from others, and had assumed that Cat- while not quite up to Isabela's level- also enjoyed it. The more he learned, the worse he felt for all his earlier assumptions.

She actually reminded him a little of Bethany… with her happy nature, and her caring manner. She could tease with the best of them, and every so often her anger would surface. And above everything, she didn't want to be a burden on anyone.

He didn't know how to make her more comfortable in the Hanged Man, without threatening everyone there, so he decided to speak to Varric and Isabela and enlist their help in making it clear to all the patrons- Cat was not to be ogled.

She could most definitely handle herself, she was no pushover after all, and he wondered why she didn't simply make an example of one of them, or tell Isabela about it.

They reached the tavern, and he held the door for her, using the opportunity of following her inside to look around the room. He saw several of the looks that she had been speaking of, and glared harshly at each of the perpetrators. It wasn't a permanent solution, but it did help make him feel better.

They went to their table, and joined Varric, Merrill and Sebastian.

"Aveline here yet?" Hawke asked as he sat. He kept his eyes moving around the room, continuing to glare at patrons when he felt necessary.

"No… haven't seen her come in," Varric replied, curious as to what was distracting Hawke. He followed his gaze several times, and seeing the men he was staring down, followed the line of their previous looks to Cat. "Interesting…" he muttered.

"So, Hawke…" he began, getting his attention.

"Yes?" Hawke replied, though he didn't stop what he was doing. Noting a few moments later that Varric had not answered, he finally stopped and looked at the dwarf, who was grinning mischievously.

"What are you doing?" Varric asked with a smirk.

Hawke looked over to Cat, noting that she was talking with Merrill and Sebastian, and leaned closer to Varric. "Cat said she didn't like being here," he said quietly. "She said she got __unwanted attention."__

Varric's smirk stayed, though his eyes narrowed. "They're making the little dove uncomfortable?" he asked. "That simply won't do. I'm sure I heard something about a murderous elf, or perhaps a mage, or even a pirate that would take great offense to having her being looked upon too much."

"Is that the best way to handle this?" Hawke asked uncertainly.

"You can't fight every battle with your spells," Varric replied. "In this case, it's not even rumor, but fact. A few words in the right ear, and our dove can relax here."

"All right then," Hawke said. "I'll leave it to you."

Varric nodded, then signaled toward the door. Looking up, Hawke saw Aveline come in, trying her best to not draw attention to herself. She sat down, and Cat turned to her.

"Aveline?" she asked. "You okay?"

Aveline shook her head. "One bad apple can spoil the entire bunch," she groused. "I'm trying very hard to not take this betrayal personally."

"I'm certain there are others behind this," Hawke said, by way of consolation. "The guard was most likely paid handsomely to look the other way."

Hawke could tell what Aveline thought of that excuse by the disparaging look on her face. He shrugged, but gave her a nod, letting her know that he had her back.

They waited and ate in silence, listening to the chatter around them, listening for clues as to who may have been responsible for the situation. After another hour, Hawke heard Norah say something about a big spender, and he rose and followed her back toward the bar. He could hear the others behind him, though no one spoke.

He found himself behind a man who held a bottle of ale. He listened as the man bragged of his sudden wealth, offering drinks to those that he suddenly considered friends.

Hawke was about to say something, when Cat pushed Sebastian forward. Sebastian looked caught off guard, but covered smoothly.

"Surely you've been blessed by the Maker to have such coin," he said. Varric gave a quiet groan and shook his head, thinking of several better opening lines.

"That's right pal," the man said, turning to Sebastian with a huge grin. "Tonight I am blessed and paid… and all because I turned my head."

Aveline was simmering, and Hawke decided to introduce her before she gutted the man. "I know someone who would __love__ to hear the details… isn't that right, __Guard Captain?"__ he said with emphasis.

The man heard it in Hawke's tone, and gulped as he replied, "g..g..guard captain?"

Aveline strode forward, holding to her righteous fury. "Who?" she demanded. Cat was awed at how she kept her anger in check.

"What?" the man asked.

"Who?!" she demanded again.

"Who what?" he replied, confused.

"Who bought you?" she spat as she reached out and grabbed the man's tunic. "Who took a proud guardsman and turned him into a whining dog?"

"I…" he started, and seeing the look on the captain's face, he relented. "I don't know."

Aveline glared at him, gripping his tunic tighter until he was almost off the ground.

"It was a templar, though I don't know his name. He said we were on a holy mission! He had the seal of the Grand Cleric and everything!"

Aveline slowly released the shirt, setting the man back squarely on his feet. She looked at him as if he were slime. "The penalty for abandoning one's post is ten days on the wall. Report to the barracks."

The man whined, but left his full bottle behind, and slunk out the door. Aveline turned to Hawke. "You have your answer. A templar."

Hawke nodded, and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Thank you." He looked around at his group. "Let's go visit the Grand Cleric, shall we?"


	55. Chapter 55- Off on the Side

Whew! Finally some vacation! Had to work some crazy hours to get everything done first, but now? I'm on vacation! Just wanted to share that happy thought. Enjoy!

Previously-  
Hawke and crew found out about the missing Qunari delegation, and discovered that a templar was using chantry authority to persuade guards to help in the kidnapping. Now, they head to the chantry to find out how far up the ladder the conspiracy goes.

* * *

"The man was a drunk!" Sebastian argued as they strode toward the chantry.

"Being drunk, and being __a__ _drunk_ are two completely different things," Varric reasoned.

"Regardless," Sebastian countered. "You can't possibly think that Grand Cleric Elthina is funding zealots." He reached the door, and held it open for everyone. Cat smiled, noting that even with how angry he was, he still kept his manners.

"We're here to find out about kidnapped Qunari," Hawke said quietly. "The templar was seen with the seal of the Grand Cleric. If she is not involved, then she can at least point us to who has use of her seal, don't you think?"

Sebastian had nothing to say to that, and stewed for a moment as they approached a young initiate. "Just keep an open mind Hawke," he finally said.

"The Grand Cleric please," Hawke asked the initiate. "Tell her… hmm… tell her, 'Three Qunari leave an estate…' and let her finish."

"Hawke..." Sebastian groaned.

"What?" Hawke turned back with a smirk. "It's the quickest way to know what she knows."

"Serah Hawke."

They all turned at the voice. "Sister Petrice?" Hawke asked, recognizing the woman from so long ago.

She shook her head slowly, the sly smile never leaving her face. " _ _Mother__ Petrice. Time has changed us both it seems. Grand Cleric Ethina cannot grant an audience to just anyone. Perhaps I may help you instead?"

"Isn't it funny how you and trouble with the Qunari seem to go together?" Hawke asked sarcastically.

She gave a small nod, "and you always assume their side. I was naive when last we met. I did not want you dead, but felt that a death __was__ necessary. That may be too fine a point for you to understand."

"Oh, we understand," Varric added. "We just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

"Indeed," Petrice answered.

"I know you," Hawke said with a smirk. "And I know someone is abusing the Grand Cleric's seal."

Cat noted how Petrice's face grew red as she spoke in anger. "Who are you to question who serves Her Grace? Leave now, as I see no reason to let you pass."

"And the fact that her authority was used to abduct Qunari?" Cat added, before anyone else could. She continued to smile, even as Petrice glared silently at her.

"A pause that says you knew…" Hawke added. "But does Her Grace?"

"The grand cleric trusts her stewards to enact the wishes of the Maker."

Cat and Varric each gave a derisive snort, then looked at each other and started chuckling. Hawke looked back at them sternly, but she could see the laughter in his eyes, and didn't take it seriously.

"It sounds like you've been naughty..." Hawke said, and Cat covered her mouth to keep from laughing at the strangled sound Sebastian made. "This will shock Her Grace, no doubt."

Petrice took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Stubborn ass…" she muttered, and Hawke's group could only agree with her assessment. "Very well… if you won't abandon this, I will offer something in its place." She came closer, so as not to be overheard.

"The templar you seek is a radical who has grown… unreliable. Confronting him may actually do us all a favor."

"And his relationship to you is?" Hawke asked, not bothering to stay quiet.

"He is my former bodyguard, Ser Varnell. Make your own assumptions, but I offer him to you as… reconciliation." She handed him a piece of paper. "Meet me at this location Serah Hawke, and see the unrest these Qunari have inspired." Turning, she then walked away.

"Need I say I'm skeptical?" Aveline asked.

"Aren't we all?" Cat replied.

"It's her game at the moment," Hawke answered. "We'll have to play a little longer."

"Are we meeting her now? Or later?" Sebastian asked.

Hawke looked down at the paper. "It says to meet just after sunrise, in Darktown, so I guess you all are free until the morning."

"Excellent," Varric said with a grin. "Daisy? Want me to walk you home?"

"Would you Varric? I forgot to bring the string you gave me."

"My pleasure," he answered.

"Cat?" Sebastian asked. "Would you like an escort?"

"No thank you," she answered. "It's just around the corner, I'll be fine."

"See you in the morning then," he replied. "Hawke, Aveline," he said to each with a nod, retiring further into the Chantry.

The three of them headed out after Varric and Merrill, and upon reaching the steps Hawke said, "Cat?"

"Yes?"

"I… I would like you to stay home tomorrow."

Cat stared at him in confusion. "Why?" she asked.

"Because the Qunari are bound to be there," he said. "Both you and Isabela have been adamant about not being involved in their affairs."

"It's not the Qunari that I worry about, it's the Arishok I don't want to see," Cat retorted.

"Still… I would feel much better if you would stay back this time… please."

Cat had been riled up, until she heard him say please. He looked like he was really asking, and not telling, and that small point deflated her instantly. She glanced down at her boots, and grumbled, "fine," and walked off towards home.

* * *

The next morning, Cat left a note for Fenris, since she hadn't seen him come home, saying she was going to Darktown. Yes, a part of her wanted to not listen to Hawke and go along anyway, but she decided instead to visit with Anders and Olivia, and purposefully didn't wear her armor, just to be sure she wouldn't be tempted. She felt bad, as lately it had seemed that she only visited with them when she was picking up the orders of potions to deliver to the Rose.

She realized she was quite early, and hoped that she would run into Hawke's group on the way, if only to wish them luck. She should have known that her own luck wasn't that good, and upon arriving at the clinic, found both of her friends still asleep.

Smiling to herself, she decided to climb in for a cuddle, and realizing how it would be taken if she joined Anders, she moved towards Olivia's room instead. The bed wasn't huge, but Olivia was curled up, and had left enough room for Cat. She climbed in and closed her eyes, feeling Olivia shift and cuddle up against her. She smiled as she dozed off.

She didn't sleep long, but it was nice and warm, and she daydreamed peacefully for awhile. She noted that Olivia was practically wrapped around her, and even mumbling in her sleep a bit. She opened her eyes, trying to understand what she was saying. It sounded like "gus" and she thought, __maybe it was a name? For the man Olivia had been so secretive about?__

She smiled at the thought, though as Olivia's hand started wandering up from its place on her stomach, she decided it was time for them both to wake up.

Before she could grab the wandering hand, it made it up to her breast and grabbed, and Cat let out a squeal. Olivia' eyes shot open and she let out a scream, and toppled over backwards off the bed.

"Cat?!" she said from the floor. "Is that you?"

"Who else would it be?" Cat asked, with her hand over her rapidly beating heart. "You about gave me a heart attack!"

"Me?!" she flung back, as she climbed back up to the bed. "I know you weren't here when I went to sleep, so how did you think I would react!

The curtain surrounding the room went flying, as Anders came in branding his staff. "Who dares?!" he demanded, and both women just stared at him.

He looked around in fury, but calmed when he saw Olivia and Cat staring back at him with wide eyes. "Uh… I heard screaming," he said uncertainly.

"Anders, I didn't know you slept naked," Cat said as she reached both hands up to cover her and Olivia's eyes. "I'm suddenly very glad I chose to get into bed with Olivia."

"Don't bother, we've already seen everything," Olivia said with a smirk. "And it's not like it's the first time either."

"I'll… go get dressed then," Anders said, running back out the way he came, leaving Cat and Olivia giggling.

"You see that often, do you?" Cat asked.

"Not so much anymore, but in the beginning I used to have nightmares. After the first couple of times, he started keeping his underclothes on when he slept, just in case. He asked me not to tell, and it became a joke. I tease him sometimes about sleeping better now."

"Of course you do," Cat said with a roll of her eyes. Anders came back, knocking on a beam and Olivia said, "come in" before he joined them.

"Uh, morning excitement aside…" he said as they giggled again. "What's going on?"

"Hawke's out with some of the crew following a lead on the group that kidnapped the Qunari delegation."

"What?" they both asked her.

"Oh, sorry," she said, and proceeded to tell the whole story.

"This is the same sister and templar who wanted us to take that Qunari mage out of the city?" Anders asked.

"The same," Cat said. "Seems they've gotten bolder, though the sister is a mother now, and claims the templar is the zealot who went too far."

"I sincerely doubt that," Anders replied.

"Yes, well…"

"So why didn't you go along?" Olivia asked.

"Hawke asked me not to," Cat said with a frown. "And like, really politely too. I apparently can't say no when he says please."

"Oh really?" Olivia said with a grin. "I'm sure Hawke would find that information helpful…"

"So you came here instead?" Anders asked, and Cat smiled gratefully.

"I did, and you both were still asleep. I decided I could use a cuddle, and thought I would get less problems from joining Olivia, though it seems I should have just grabbed a cot."

"What?" Olivia said, as Anders said, "We're always happy to share!"

Cat gave them both a look. "Maker's breath Anders, you sleep naked! And Olivia, you must have been having a good dream, because you were very, uh… handsy."

"Handsy?" Anders asked giving Olivia a smirk.

"Hey, at least I didn't parade around naked!" she replied, causing him to roll his eyes at her.

"You won't make me feel bad for running to the rescue when I hear screaming. The one time I actually take time to put on clothes, someone could be slitting your throat."

Olivia didn't hesitate. "Okay, you win that one. And having a show in the morning is never a bad thing, am I right Cat?"

Cat just shook her head at her friends. At one time, she had thought that they could maybe be romantically involved, but now she knew that they were as good of friends as any.

"So…" Cat began. "Can I help you two today?" she asked.

The two of them looked at each other in question, and having made some sort of decision, turned back. "Herb gathering," they said in unison.

Cat sighed. "Of course…" __They are determined to make me a somewhat decent at gathering herbs, aren't they,__ she thought to herself, while smiling. "Fine, as long as we go somewhere new."

"I think we can manage that," Anders answered.

* * *

"Fenris?" Hawke asked in shock, almost running directly into the elf as he turned a corner. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Cat," Fenris answered. "She left a note saying she was going to Darktown."

"Seems to me you would check the clinic, not wander around Darktown aimlessly," Varric teased.

His smile disappeared as Fenris glared at him. "I have checked there already. It is empty," Fenris announced.

"Empty?" Hawke questioned. "Anders and Olivia are gone too?"

"That is what I said," Fenris responded dryly.

Hawke sighed. "I have to report to the Viscount." He turned to the rest of his crew. "You all can go with Fenris, I can handle this," he said.

"Are you sure Hawke?" Merrill asked, thinking how tired Hawke looked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Hawke answered. "We'll meet up later at the Hanged Man."

"Very well," Aveline said, and Hawke continued on without his crew.

"I doubt there is any danger," Fenris said as he watched Hawke's back receding. He felt slightly concerned that he would be on his own. "Perhaps someone should stay with Hawke."

"I'll go," Sebastian and Varric both said, then looked at each other. "I'll catch up to him more quickly," Sebastian said as he walked away hurriedly.

Varric wasn't the only one who scowled at Sebastian's back.

"Let's go," Aveline finally said. "Any guesses where to start looking?"

"Since she's with Blondie and Button, and they're not at the clinic, there are only a few other options," Varric said.

"I'd say herb gathering," Merrill commented. "Olivia said Cat is still really bad at it, and they use a lot of them."

"Knowing Anders, he wants out of the city every chance he gets," Aveline added.

"Sounds like the Wounded Coast is our best option then," Fenris replied, and he started walking, the others following in his wake.

* * *

"Which way should we start with?" Aveline asked.

"I'd go right, there are some amazing patches of elfroot there," Merrill said. "Or left…" she added as Aveline started to the right. "there are great amounts of spindleweed, or even deep mushrooms in the caves nearby."

"Helpful as always, Merrill," Aveline said with a sigh.

"Come on Daisy, if you were Anders, which would you go for?" Varric asked.

"Uh, all of them," she replied. "If I were Anders, I'd need every herb I could find, and then some."

"All right then, we'll check everywhere," Fenris growled impatiently. He couldn't tell the others what had him in such a hurry, but he didn't care. Fenris needed to speak to Cat about some rumors he had heard, and he needed to do so…now.

The group moved to the right, coming to the dead end that showed the patched of elfroot Merrill had spoken of, though they were quite bare. Feeling as if they were on the right track, Fenris sped the group along, turning right again and heading further up the hill.

"Wait!" Merrill called as she stepped off the path into a small alcove, and stooped down to a flower. Pulling out her dagger, she cut off the blooms and leaves, sticking them in her bag. Standing back up beside the small stalk, she waved them on. "Anders will want this embrium, I'm sure," she called up to the group as she joined them.

Fenris huffed, but the group moved on, finding nothing but an old campsite or two as the moved about. As they continued on the path that led down the other side of the hill, they came across an entrance to a cave.

"Anders? Cat? You in there?" Aveline called at the mouth, hearing her words echo. They listened for an answer but heard nothing.

"I'd rather be certain, wouldn't you?" she asked Fenris who nodded, and they led the way into the cave.

Once his eyes had adjusted to the dim light, Fenris was surprised at the tight spaces the cave sported. He moved forward, past a small corner, and was stopped short at the small room. Looking around he spotted the way forward just to his right and stepping into the room, heard a sound he despised.

"Spiders!" he shouted back, pulling out his sword and making for the farthest wall, hoping to lure the spiders away from the doorway so that his group could enter and assist him. The three giant spiders had little hope against the four warriors, and they were once again on their way.

Fenris continued to lead, feeling odd at the new sensation. He could understand and appreciate the tension that Hawke continually carried, knowing that his decisions would affect the others.

A sound once again stopped him, and Fenris sighed. "Ready yourselves for a fight," he said to the others, as he continued around a bend and down a small flight of stairs. His attention was diverted as he felt the malice from one side of the room, but as the mature but smaller dragon landed, he focused back where he needed to.

As he went to strike its legs, his only thought was, __good, it's not a high dragon.__

Once the fight was over, and he felt rested enough, Fenris stood and made his way to Merrill.

"I will not argue about this. We must destroy the book."

Merrill looked in the direction of the tomb that he could feel, and both Aveline and Varric stared at him strangely.

"Since we are in a hurry, and Hawke is not here, I agree," she said finally, and Fenris gave an almost smile in relief. "We are on the same side after all," she said quietly, and he gave her a nod.

"There is an evil book," he said for the other two. "Once I hit it, it will spew demons at us. Ready yourselves."

Aveline and Varric both nodded, not knowing that the other had already dealt with such a book before. Fenris approached what looked like a small shrine, and the book that sat on it, and with a yell, swung at it with his sword.

"Revenant!" Merrill's scream was heard echoing around the room, and the four of them turned their backs to each other in order to help protect each other.

Aveline and Varric made for the abominations in front of them, and Fenris scythed toward a few shambling corpses protecting Merrill while she cast spells to disorient and slow down the revenant, buying time so that they could all attack it together.

"They're not working!" she called, and Aveline struck the abomination in the face, and turned to get in between Merrill and the possessed corpse. Holding up her shield, she planted her feet, and prepared for the onslaught.

"Hit it! Everything you've got!" Aveline called back to them, as it struck her shield, and her arm wanted to give way. "Hurry!"

Fenris' glow lit up the room even more, as he struck out with his lyruim power. THe revenant cried out, and Merrill cried, "spirit damage, of course!" before launching a bolt at the creature.

It howled in pain, and lashed out, causing Varric to backflip out of its path. He gave it an exploding bolt in the back, yelling out to the others to stay back. The revenant eyes glowed with anger as it pushed back to its feet, as Merrill struck again with another bolt, and Fenris came down from a leap with a mighty blow.

As the creature faded away, leaving a half decayed corpse behind, Aveline took off her shield and shook out her hand. "Maker's breath, those things are the worst!" she muttered.

"Oh I don't know," Varric said with a smile. "Seems Broody here was more upset about the spiders."

Fenris glared over at him with a scowl. "Abomination don't leave as much of a mess to clean off your armor," he stated, and Varric and Merrill laughed.

"If it bothers you that much you could have someone else clean your armor for you," Aveline said dryly.

"They wouldn't do it correctly," he grumbled, causing even Aveline to smirk.

"Let's get going, shall we?" Varric said. "Not every dwarf likes caves you know."

The group made their way out back to the fresh air, and all felt they could breathe easier. Heading down the hill, they found nothing but remnants of others' previous stays in the area.

Reaching another fork, Fenris meant to turn right, since going left would take them back where they started. But instead, he followed his gut, and turned to the left. It wasn't long before he started hearing voices, and pushed quickly to the place where he found his quarry.

"Blondie! You sure are hard to find!" Varric called out, spotting Anders. Looking shocked, Anders looked up from the log he was sitting on.

"I didn't know I needed to be found," Anders replied as the four of them approached. "Is everyone all right? Hawke?" he asked quickly.

"Everyone is fine," Aveline assured him. "More problems with the Qunari and the viscount."

"Cat filled us in on that," he said. "Were you able to find the delegation?"

Fenris looked out to the water where Cat and Olivia were plucking spindleweed leaves nearby, though he was listening intently to the conversation.

"Found yes, but they were killed by zealots before we could get to them. Hawke and Sebastian went to inform the viscount."

"Oh," Anders answered. "Then why were you looking for me?" he asked.

"I was looking for Cat. I assumed she was with you as her note said she went to Darktown." Aveline and Anders looked to Fenris as he spoke, though he was still looking out at the water.

"Well, it is getting late, and we need some embrium before we leave. Cat! Olivia! We need to move on!" he called out to them, then started packing up their sacks.

"Hey everyone, what are you doing here?" Cat asked with a grin as she approached, giving each of them a squeeze on the arm or a hug. She made it to Fenris and gave him a hug, though she went to pull away almost immediately. He held her close and whispered, " _ _we must talk"__ before letting her go.

Cat nodded, "We need to head back?" she asked, looking around.

"We're not in a hurry, so we'll get some embrium first," Anders said as he handed her her bag.

"Ugh, that's the worst," Cat groaned. "I always mess it up."

"Come on, right over here there are always plenty. You get your practice, and we still get what we need," Olivia said with a smile.

"All right then, lead the way," Cat replied.

Anders and Aveline headed out first, and Fenris automatically stayed in the back, holding Cat's arm to ensure she stayed as well. She waved the others on, but they obviously had gotten the memo, as they left plenty of space between them.

"What has you all worked up today?" Cat asked as they slowly followed their comrades.

"I was helping Isabela track some contacts," he started, and Cat frowned.

"Look, if you're going to tell me something about Issy, I've decided I don't want to know. Not unless it's from her. She's obviously keeping me in the dark for a reason, and I want __her__ to explain it."

"I've told her the same," he replied.

"You have?" she asked incredulously.

"Why would that surprise you?" he answered. "Her friendship is important to you, and she has hurt you. Nothing I say will change that."

"You're very astute," Cat mumbled, unhappily. "But since she isn't here explaining, I imagine that fell on deaf ears."

"Not as deaf as you may think," he said. "She worries for you as much or more than you do for her."

"I know that, but I wish she wouldn't."

"That is like saying you wish that the sky were not blue. Some things just are."

"Very well, o wise one," she said teasingly. "What then did you want to talk about?"

Fenris didn't get a chance to speak as the shout went up and their friends rushed forward to fight… something. Cat and Fenris rushed forward as well, seeing their group engaged with abominations. Cat looked down, and noticed the bodies of several Qunari warriors on the ground around them.

The fight was quick, but there were no more answers as to how the abominations had gotten there. The bodies of the Qunari soldiers were not possessed, and there were no traces of a mage anywhere.

"Let's get your flowers and get out of here," Aveline stated and moved forward again.

They had barely begun, and Fenris started to speak when Cat hushed him. Looking forward, their group was crouched down, and gesturing for them. They moved quietly forward, staying low, hearing the sounds of shouts and cries of pain.

Aveline continued forward, and they followed, seeing a small group of guard come into view.

"Lieutenant Harley?" Aveline asked once they were in cover of some large rocks.

"Aveline?" the woman in charge looked at them as if they were heaven sent. "We didn't think the messengers got through!"

"They didn't. I was here for other reasons." Aveline looked around at the small group. "This is all of your squad?" she asked.

Harley looked discouraged for a moment. "We're dealing with Evets Marauders. Fell Orden is up there, and its been all we could do to just keep them trapped here. I tried two sorties up the path… but it's lined with traps."

"You've done well Harley," Aveline said with a nod. "I'll help you."

"I think she meant to say, we'll all help," Cat added, having her group look at her oddly. "What?" she asked. "I'd rather deal with them here and now, then on some street in Kirkwall, when they have more men."

"Besides," she continued, "Varric's the best at spotting and disarming traps, Merrill and Anders are amazing with cover fire, and Fenris is so fast, most people don't know they are dead until it's too late." She smiled back at her group, who were embarrassed or preening at the praise. "We can do this."

"Thank you," Aveline said as they all readied their weapons. "Get your men ready Harley, you'll take the left flank, and my group will take the right. Wait until we've got their attention, so you can get the drop on them."

"Yes Captain," Harley said with a salute. "Men! With me!" she called, and the guards that could still fight moved into position.

"We'll follow your lead, Varric," Aveline said quietly.

"These men are bad news," Cat added. "I'm fairly sure that Fell Orden is a blood mage that enjoys killing."

"Thank you for the distinction," Merrill said happily.

"No problem," Cat answered, as Varric shook his head.

"Blondie, Button, Daisy…" Varric said, getting their attention. "I need some room to work my magic. Some heavy cover would be preferable."

Anders and Olivia grinned at each other. "We have something we want to try, Merrill, if you'll indulge us."

"Sure," she answered, stepping back.

"Aiming behind that peak there," Anders said to Olivia, who nodded. Lifting their staffs, they both started an intricate spell, and Cat watched in awe as the blizzard and the lightning storm brewed together above them.

"Storm of the century, no way…" Cat said in awe, not even noticing as Varric moved forward toward the first of the traps. She felt a push behind her, as Fenris gave her a nudge and she focused on her job. Varric was going to leave any traps she could disarm to her, and go after the tougher ones. She rushed over to him, and said, "I'm here when you need me!"

"Take that one on the left!" he called back over the wind, and Cat moved for it. It was a relatively simple device, but deceptive in its appearance. Varric had been teaching her traps for some time now, and her skills were mediocre, but improving.

After a short time, Varric called back, "All clear!" and Aveline and Fenris moved forward with the others to join them. Varric gave direction, as to where was safe, and where wasn't, and he and Cat moved off to the side, to continue their work even as the others engaged the marauders.

The fight was long and grueling, but they came out the victors in the end. Anders and Olivia put their healing skills to use, though they used bandages for the guards. Having the mages stop casting as the guards came into view had almost lost the fight, but it was better than exposure.

Once the guards left, Anders and Olivia used their magic to heal their friends, and they rested for a short time before deciding to head home. Hawke was surely awaiting them by now, and they were eager to eat and relax.

Fenris tried to keep Cat back, but Aveline had been hurt worse than he had, so he found himself leading again. Cat joined him in the front of the group, but he chose his words carefully, knowing that the others would possibly hear them.

"I heard a rumor while I was gone," he said, and she glanced up in question.

"To have you worried, it must be bad," she replied.

"Very bad," he said. He stopped, holding out his arm to stop her as well. Looking up above, and around them, but seeing nothing.

Cat tensed, looking for the threat. Fenris' instincts were like an actual wolf, and she knew to trust them. She had her hands on her daggers, waiting…

"Hunters."

She looked over in shock, even as the men appeared on the cliff above them. "Stop right there!" a man called out to them, and Cat followed the movements of the others, as they moved to surround them. She looked back to Fenris, who was snarling in rage.

"You are in possession of stolen property! Back away from the slave, and you will be spared!"

"There are no slaves here!" Aveline called up to them. "We are all free!" Cat smiled, glad that she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"I won't repeat myself! Back away from the slave!" the man called, his voice turning angry.

"You did just repeat yourself, you idiot!" Cat yelled back, pulling out her daggers.

"I am not your slave!" Fenris yelled, his tattoos exploding with light. He moved so quickly, Cat could swear she could only see the trail of light behind him. The men surrounding them were quickly taken care of, and the crew sprang into action as more came.

The fight was quick, even though there were mages as well as soldiers, they were not as experienced as their own group. Cat looked over to Fenris, calling out "Fenris? You okay?"

He didn't answer, in fact he didn't even look her way. He glared at a body laying on the ground and headed straight for it, pulling the head up by the hair. Cat could see the mage was alive, though he was injured, and she moved forward along with her friends.

 _"_ _ _Where is he?!"__ Fenris demanded in a quiet and terrifying voice.

"Please, don't…kill me," the mage replied. "I don't know. I don't know… I swear. Hadriana…. brought us. She is… at the holding…caves. I can… show you-"

"No need. I know which ones you speak of."

"Then let me go, I beg you-"

He voice cut off, as Fenris grabbed his head and twisted, breaking his neck. "You chose the wrong master," he said, dropping the man.

Cat wasn't surprised, and yet she was still in shock. She knew Fenris could be brutal, but he had always been gentle with her. She didn't comment however, knowing that he didn't necessarily like showing this side of himself.

"Hadriana, hmph!" he said with a grunt. His hands clenched into fists. "I was a fool to think I was free. They will never leave me be!"

Aveline took charge, and Cat stepped back. "This is someone you know?" she asked Fenris.

He nodded, glaring at the ground. "My master's old apprentice. A sniveling social climber who would sell her own children if it would make him happy. The only reason she's here, is to do his bidding. I knew he wouldn't let this go!"

"And they paid for it," Aveline replied calmly. "We'll go after them, but we need to regroup with Hawke and the others."

He stared her down, but she didn't flinch. "If she is here, there will be more. They will not stop. We need to find her, and send him a message he will not soon forget."

"Let's get back and report to Hawke," she said again, calm as could be. "They will not get away with this." She grabbed her pack that she had dropped, and gestured for the others to gather their things, after they finished looting the bodies, and piling them away from the road.

"I'll take the lead," Aveline told Fenris, as Anders flung a fireball at the pile of corpses. She lowered her voice, "I think you're scaring the others," she said quietly.

"Good, then perhaps they will understand," he muttered, as he glared, waiting for the others to walk ahead of him. Cat finally went ahead, only because he wouldn't walk until she did, but she stayed nearby, without speaking, just to let him know he wasn't alone.


	56. Chapter 56- A Bitter Pill

Cat walked back into the Hanged Man feeling weary, both mentally and physically. Trying to get Fenris to speak to her was a battle of wills, and he was much more stubborn than she was. Not to mention all of the fights and walking to and from the wounded coast.

 _ _At least I'm not in my armor,__ she thought, which made her feel petty comparing that to the problems of everyone else. She followed the group over to the table and sat at the opposite end of Varric, with Anders and Olivia.

"I feel like I'm a part of the crew, sitting here," Olivia said with a chuckle.

"And who says you aren't?" Anders asked, pretending to be offended.

"I'm teasing, but it is nice to come along once in awhile, without being the one getting rescued I mean," she replied. "Though I probably shouldn't stay very long."

"Why not?" Cat asked.

"Olivia has a mission tonight," Anders said quietly.

"So I'll need some rest before hand," she added. "You never can be sure how long you'll be hiding in those caves, and being tired is not ideal."

"Understandable," Cat acquiesced. "Just let us know when you're ready to go then."

"I'll go when I'm ready, you stay and have a good time," Olivia replied with a smile. She leaned in and whispered, _"_ _ _and get Fenris to knock the chip off his shoulder too."__

"I'll need more than a good time to do that," Cat answered, and they giggled.

After another hour, Hawke and Sebastian entered the tavern, and Olivia stood as soon as she saw them.

"I'll get going, now that you all are going to talk business," she told Cat. Cat stood and walked her to the door, telling her to be careful. Olivia waved off her concerns but accepted the luck with a wink, and left.

Cat returned and sat in her seat. "She sure has come a long way, hasn't she?" Cat asked Anders as she sat.

"Olivia? Yes, it's incredible the bravery that she shows, especially like tonight," he answered.

"Do you two get these missions very often?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"I do more than she," he answered. "But she's been asking for more and more responsibility. I'm really proud of her."

Seeing the commotion around them, as everyone was standing and moving, Cat and Anders looked up and around in confusion.

"We're moving to Varric's" Merrill said to them, and they quickly grabbed their mugs and followed suit.

Once settled, and the door closed, Hawke cleared his throat to gain their attention, and everyone quieted down and focused on the head- or just slightly to the left of the head of the table.

"I've… seemed to make matters even worse today," Hawke began, and everyone looked concerned and confused but waited for him to continue.

"After reporting to the Viscount, Dumar was insistent on seeing the delegation for himself. Sebastian and I took him to the scene where he promptly fell apart. The man is terrified of the Arishok, but trying hard not to show it."

"That's not exactly a surprise," Aveline commented. "Considering he got you involved in the first place."

"How is that worse than before?" Isabela questioned.

"That's not the worst part," Hawke answered grimly. "The Viscount then asked what he should do with the delegation. His plan was to simply hide the bodies."

The group looked at Hawke in disbelief as he shook his head. "I know what you're thinking, but as I said the man is scared witless. Sebastian and I tried to convince him to return the bodies but he wouldn't hear of it. The compromise we came to was to burn the bodies before returning them in order to hide the torture they went through."

Hawke waited as several conversations burst out. He could tell that everyone agreed with his assessment that the plan was foolhardy, but there was little he could do now. He waited another few moments and held up a hand to silence them.

"This will not work Hawke," Fenris muttered grumpily. "It will only antagonize the Arishok."

"I agree, however it is already done," Hawke announced, and waited again as the others spoke their minds. "I only wanted to let you all know, so that you understand how strained things are in the city."

"I doubt the fanatics are finished either," Varric added. "So we'll probably see even more troubles in the future."

"I agree," Sebastian said with a nod. "Unfortunately or not, the Arishok will likely not involve us again if there were a problem."

"Unfortunately or not?" Anders asked in disbelief. "Hawke here was the only thing keeping him somewhat calm!"

"Agreed," Sebastian replied. "But these fanatics already see Hawke as an enemy because of that. Either way, he is gaining enemies."

"If Hawke is, that means we all are," Varric stated, and they turned back to look at Hawke who was rubbing his face, showing his weariness. He looked around as everyone nodded along to Varric's assessment.

"Thank you everyone, that means a lot," he smiled, seeming less burdened. "Now… what happened with all of you?" he asked as he sat down to eat.

Varric began, as he always did, but there were many interruptions and accusations of embellishment, as there always were. The room was lighter though, as they enjoyed each others' company, and they all took some pleasure in seeing Hawke laugh at some exploit or another.

Cat for her part, didn't add much to the story, she just reveled in the atmosphere. However when Isabela asked her about her morning, she turned to Anders with a wicked smile, watching as his own faltered.

"I went to the clinic, but the healers were still asleep, so I jumped in bed with Olivia to take a nap," she said looking over to Isabela.

"Cat, shut up," Anders said quickly, which brought several interested looks from the others.

"Well, I was only going to tell what Olivia did, but just for that…" she teased, seeing his face flush red.

"Fine, I'm not ashamed," he said in challenge, which had Cat laughing.

"Your face belies your words my friend," she replied with a chuckle.

"So what happened?" Isabela asked with a grin.

"Nothing much," Cat answered. "Olivia was dreaming about somebody, and ended up grabbing me pretty hard. I yelped, she woke up and screamed, and Anders came running from his bed to save us."

"That's not very exciting," Varric commented. "Wait, was he glowing? Like all abomination-y?"

"What?!" Anders cried. "What does that even mean?"

"You know, all Justice-y," Isabela added. "That other guy in there."

"No, of course not," Cat said with a laugh.

"Oh! Did he accidentally cast a spell on you, thinking you were a thief?" Merrill guessed, and Cat kept laughing.

"No, really, it was nothing like that…"

"Well then, it must have been-" Aveline began, as Anders interrupted with a shout.

"I SLEEP NAKED!"

The room was silent as they all stared at him, before all but a few started snickering.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Sebastian asked primly.

"I'm saying, yes, I sleep nude, and yes, I heard screaming, so YES, I ran over to help my friend, who happens to sleep in the next bedroom. AND YES," he continued, "Cat and Olivia saw me naked." He whirled on Cat, "are you __happy now!?"__

Cat laughed even as she looked offended. "Me? I didn't tell them, you did!"

"Oh please, you were going to," he grumbled, even as everyone continued to laugh.

"Remind me to come visit you some evening," Isabela teased, and Anders glared at her.

"Remind me not to wake you up," Hawke added, and Anders groaned.

"How long will I have to live with this?" he questioned the ceiling.

"So Kitty, how was the show?" Isabela asked, hearing the groaning from several others.

"Even better than you'd think," she answered with a wink to Anders, who sat up a little more proudly.

"Not to dampen the mood, but we still need to tell Hawke about the hunters," Aveline said gently, and crew quieted considerably, and Fenris tensed.

"Hunters?" Hawke asked.

"Slave hunters, coming after Fenris," Aveline said. "They ambushed us on our way back from the Wounded Coast."

"We handled them quickly, but it seems it was only a small part of the group that is actually here," Anders added, looking at Fenris in concern, as he had yet to do anything but drink.

"Danarius?" Hawke asked Fenris. Fenris glowered, his fists clenched atop the table beside his bottle.

"No, not yet anyway," Cat answered, also looking to Fenris in concern. It was more than obvious to everyone how upset he was, but that he wasn't trying to take action, or even tell Hawke about it had her even more worried. "What we got out of one of the men was their leader was a woman named Hadriana. Fenris told us she is Danarius' apprentice."

"He also knows where her base is, some specific slaver cave on the coast," Aveline continued. "We want to go and take them out before she tries anything else."

"Good idea," Hawke said, as he rubbed his chin in thought. "The sooner the better too."

Cat was still looking at Fenris, and saw the shock on his face at Hawke's words. __Had he been thinking we were all going to abandon him or something?__ she thought. The thought had her a little mad at his stupidity, but she quelled it instantly.

"You... you'll help me then?" Fenris asked quietly, and Cat's anger was back in full force.

"Of course you idiot!" she said as she punched his shoulder. He turned to gape at her, as she shook her hand out from the pain, while he hadn't seemed to even notice she hit him. "How could you even think that we wouldn't?!"

"I… am used to being alone."

"Well, you're not anymore, so get used to it!" Cat said with finality, then huffed and got up and left.

"You punched me when I hurt her feelings," Hawke said with a smirk to Fenris. "Does that mean I get to punch you now?"

"Try it," Fenris offered, and stood up to follow Cat. "I guess we'll meet tomorrow?" he asked.

"I've got a few things to do for the Viscount," Hawke replied. "But we'll go see these slavers as soon as we can."

"Very well," Fenris said, and left.

" _ _That's__ what he's been so moody about this whole time?" Aveline groused. "He thought we would leave him to deal with slavers alone?"

"It seems as though it has happened before," Hawke replied with a frown. "If anyone can convince him though, it's Cat."

"Sure, after she tears into him," Isabela added. "Varric!" she called. "We're out of drinks!"

* * *

Fenris was on his last straw, and he knew it. He was ready to explode, and was trying hard to keep it in. He told himself over and over that these people were his friends, his family even, but another part of him whispered to prepare himself for betrayal.

He expected it from some, after all, the blood mage and the abomination hardly cared what happened to him, and would gladly see him gone. The others may care, but would easily forget him and the problems he brought to their group. Having a warrior to help with the fighting didn't outweigh the fights he brought to their doorstep.

Even Cat's words from several days ago couldn't penetrate through this barrier of self loathing. They had spoken for some time after she stormed off from the tavern and he had followed her home. Her accusations had not been misplaced, and he realized he had hurt her as he had sworn he never would.

 _ _That is what monsters do,__ he told himself. __It was better to be alone.__

He glanced around in anger, wondering why he was still following Hawke on these useless errands. Meeting with the Arishok, or trying to at least, asinine deliveries such as pick axes for laborers out at the Bone Pit. Patrolling the city streets at night and removing gangs that preyed on the weak. And now of all things, they were heading to take care of a thief who had been stealing from one of Hawke's business ventures.

 _ _As soon as we can… isn't that what he said?!__ Fenris thought as his anger grew. __As soon as__ you _ _decide it is worthwhile anyway.__

He followed the group through a sewer in Darktown, as they turned a corner and stopped. Since he was taller than most of them, he was able to see the group of fighters before them.

"Stop stealing from my shipments," Hawke said sternly.

"You're that upstart Fereldan," the man in the front said snidely.

"And you must be Brekken," Hawke answered just as rudely.

"No one comes to my territory and orders me around," Brekken said as he pulled out his daggers.

That was all the invitation Fenris needed, as he had to get some of this anger out somehow. With a roar, he moved into the melee, striking out ferociously. The fight was over much sooner than he wished, and he stood panting in disappointment.

"What in the hell has gotten in to you?" Hawke asked him in surprise.

"This," Fenris answered on a growl. "This is more important than __my life?!"__

Hawke stepped back, instantly on the defensive. "Of course not Fenris," he said calmly, and the others looked on in shock.

"Tell me then," Fenris growled. "Why have we not gone after the slavers!"

"I __did__ tell you, but I will say it again," Hawke replied testily. "We needed everyone with us, which didn't happen until today. And we came here first, because we knew he was here now, whereas he might have moved if we waited."

"The SLAVERS might have moved since we waited!" Fenris roared at him.

"Not without their slave they wouldn't."

Hawke stood his ground as Fenris screamed out his frustration. He understood it, but he was the leader for a reason. He had to make the hard decisions, and not everyone would agree with him. Like now.

"Let me make this very simple," Fenris growled as he got up into Hawke's face. "Either we go now… or I do."

Hawke heard the gasps, and he saw red, and a small part of him wanted to deny him simply for giving him an ultimatum. But his rational side came back to him as Cat spoke up.

"Fenris, you don't mean that," she said pleadingly.

"Of course I do," he spat at her, and she recoiled back.

Hawke looked over at the devastated look on her face, and wondered if even Fenris would be able to be forgiven for what he was doing. "Of course we'll go," he said calmly. "It is all we left on our plans today, and we have everyone with us so that we can wipe out these slavers once and for all."

"Hmph," Fenris grunted as he stepped back.

"Will you lead us there?" he asked, and Fenris stormed off. He went after him gesturing for the others to follow as well. He gave Cat's shoulder a squeeze as he passed her, seeing her smile gratefully at him. "Let's get this done," he said as they rushed to keep up with their friend.

* * *

Cat had no idea how to even process what she was seeing. Since coming to Thedas she had seen her share and more of blood and death, knowing inside that it was inevitable here. Kill or be killed had been drummed into her since that first day when she met Zev.

Here in this awful cave however, she realized that there was an entirely new set of rules for those that chose to lord themselves over others. The needless death surrounding her was appalling, and the fact that the slaves went begrudgingly, even if not willingly, made her sick to her stomach.

She could see that she wasn't alone in her horror, though the others hid it much better than she had. Once she even ran from the room to be sick, and had to stare at the ceiling as she finally went past the carved up bodies sprawled before her.

She listened as Fenris explained what they saw, and she was furious and saddened that he had been forced to live with this depravity. She tried to remember that as he accused Merrill of being the same as these animals, but thankfully Hawke came to Merrill's defense.

She knew that Fenris had a darker side that he tried not to show, and it hurt her heart to see it firsthand. She steeled herself against the pain, chanting in her head that it wasn't his fault, and he would be able to get past it because of his friends. He sure wasn't making it any easier though.

Room after room, they made their way through the slavers. Only once did they find an actual slave, and having her ask Fenris if he was her new master had all of their hearts breaking. Hawke offered her a place in his house, and while Fenris was furious at first, after Hawke explained, he was remorseful and grateful.

But now, the time had come. Cat recognized the end of the cavern, knowing the awful mage was hiding there with her men. They were taking it slowly, watchful for traps, but she could see the determination on everyone's faces. They were ready to finish this.

"All clear," Isabela said, and she and Varric waited as the group joined them. Together, they turned the corner and faced the magister's apprentice.

"You made a grievous mistake in coming here, slave!" she shouted as she spotted Fenris.

"Not as much as you have, witch!" he retorted, running into the fray.

Several of crew fell throughout the course of the fight, but Hawke was like a whirlwind, getting others back to their feet. The sheer amount of power Hadriana wielded was amazing, and Cat fought for her life to survive, unwilling to let her win.

Round after round of enemies came at them, first slavers, then shades and corpses alternating while Hadriana would barrier herself away from their attacks or deliver sweeping area attacks that would scatter them away from protecting each other. Many times they tried to use their combined attacks, with very little luck.

Finally, the tides turned in their favor as Anders caught Hadriana in a winter's grasp spell right after her barrier dispelled. The nine of them immediately went for the woman, attacking with gusto even through the ice.

As the spell dispersed, she fell over to the ground, reaching with one hand for her staff that Fenris quickly kicked away. He stared at her as he lifted his sword, ready to chop off her head.

"Wait!" she called. "You do not want me dead!"

Fenris scoffed. "There is only one person in this world that I want dead more than you."

She struggled to sit up, and no one came to her aid. "I have information, elf," she spat as if it were a nasty word. "And I will trade it, for my life."

"No information would be greater than the pleasure of your death," he replied.

"You have a sister!" she said quickly before he could swing. Looking up since the blow did not come, she added. "She is alive."

Fenris turned his head to look at Cat, and she froze at the emptiness of his stare. Turning back to the woman he sheathed his sword. She smiled as she realized she had gotten his attention. "Let me go, and I will tell you where she is."

"How do we know you're even telling the truth?" Hawke asked, since Fenris was silent.

"You don't," Hadriana replied. "But I know Fenris. If we wants me to betray Danarius, then he'll have to pay for it." She smiled coldly at Fenris, knowing exactly what the thought of losing her death was costing him. She felt the same way, after all.

"Your call Fenris," Hawke said as he stepped back.

Fenris seemingly made up his mind. He stepped forward and crouched in front of Hadriana.

"I have your word?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded, looking her dead in the eyes. "You have my word."

She eyed him, looking for hints of betrayal, and finding none, began to speak. "Her name, is Varania. She is is Qarinus, serving a magister by the name of Ahriman."

"She's a servant?"

"Yes," she replied with a nod. "A servant, not a slave."

Fenris eyed her as well before nodding. "I believe you."

He didn't move, but he didn't have to either. His tattoos lit up, and Hadriana looked at him in confusion. His hand whipped out, and she gasped as he gripped her heart. She couldn't look away from his eyes… so cold, so… dead. And then everything went black.

Fenris stood and turned, and began walking away. "We are done here," he announced to the shocked crew.

"Uh… Fenris?" Cat asked, wondering why she was. "Are you okay?" She regretted it instantly.

"Okay?!" he fumed as he whirled on her. "NO! I am not OKAY!" He was staring down at her like he wanted to punch her. "This could be a trap! This entire thing could have been Danarius sending her here to tell me about this "sister", but even if he didn't trying to find her would still be suicide!"

"I'm-" she started.

"Danarius has to know, and he has to know that Hadriana knew. But all that really matters, is that I killed her. May she rot in peace, along with every other mage…"

Cat's inner monologue was screaming __don't cry, don't cry!__ But she felt the tears falling anyway. Fenris was looking at her as he had only in nightmares.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she put her hand on his arm, which he immiediately shrugged off.

"Don't comfort me," he spat. "Look around you! This is what mages do, what mages are! And you come along and tell us that things can be different, and I almost believed you! But __this__ is the reality. __THIS__ is what will happen and I will not let you convince me otherwise!"

Cat was frozen, looking at him, wondering when it was that he had become so hard and cynical, wondering what he had been like as a young elf and full of dreams, and she continued to cry, for that poor elf that was lost.

Fenris, on the other hand, saw her looking at him as if she didn't recognize him, and he wondered if she finally saw the monster he had been trying to hide from her. The thought grieved him more than he expected.

"I have to go," he said quietly, and rushed past everyone to the exit.

* * *

Cat waved off the others' concerns, letting them know she didn't blame Fenris, and speaking a little about finally understanding what he had really been through. Most of them seemed to feel the same way, and there wasn't much conversation on the way home.

Knowing Fenris would be waiting for Hawke at his home made it easier to refuse going to the Hanged Man. She wanted to get home, get clean, and sleep for a very long time. There was little she could do now, and until Fenris calmed down, she wouldn't be able to speak to him.

She walked to the door, opening it and pulling it closed behind her. Walking past the foyer, she headed for the staircase, only to see Fenris sitting at the bottom, waiting- for her it seemed.

She hadn't prepared herself for that, and backed up a few steps as he came near.

"I deserve that," he mumbled. "Though all I can say is that I am sorry."

"Sorry?" she asked. "For what?"

"I… took my anger out on you, though you did not deserve it."

"You have absolutely no need to apologize Fenris," she replied. "I know what killing her meant to you."

"Of course you do," he muttered. He tried a step forward, and seeing that she didn't back away, took another. "This… hate… I carry, I thought that I had gotten away from it, but it dogs me no matter where I go."

Cat worried about saying the wrong thing, but it was worth it to try. She stepped forward, and put her hand on his cheek. "Perhaps you weren't quite ready to let it go," she said quietly.

"You think I want this?!" he asked as he moved forward, pushing her up against a wall. "This evil crawling through me at every turn, making me the monster you shy away from?!"

"What?" she asked. "How can you say that?"

"I see it, every time we quarrel," he spat in disgust at himself. "As you look at me and wonder where your friend has gone."

"Oh Fenris, no," she said, reaching for him again, putting her hand on his chest. "That's not it, I swear!"

"How can I deny what I see with my own eyes?" he muttered.

"I don't see a monster," she said quietly. "I see a younger version of you, before these people took control of your life, and I feel such sorrow that he had to suffer through such awful things."

She put a finger under his chin to get him to look at her. "I see who you are, struggling past these things that were out of your control, and I wish I could find that magister," she said as her voice turned hard, "and strangle him with my own hands!"

He backed away from her this time, confused at her unexpected words. He had hoped to somehow explain himself and beg forgiveness, and found himself at a loss. How he wanted to believe her, yet it seemed too impossible.

"You… you're too generous," he said, causing her to look confused.

"We're friends Fenris," she replied, as if that explained it all.

He closed his eyes briefly, and opened them again to look at her. "I'm not sure I know what that means," he answered, and rushed up the stairs to his room.

Cat sighed, no longer wanting to be home. She wasn't much of a drinker, but perhaps a night of forgetting her troubles _was_ in order.


	57. Chapter 57- Friends are Forever

_9:33 Solace_

 _Hello my dear friend! It has been far too long since I've heard from you! As I am certain you are aware, our mutual friends have been too busy to write, though their leader did manage a quick visit through Val Royeaux not too long ago. It seems he is helping some of his people with an expedition, and I have to admit that I do not envy him, though it was wonderful to see him again!_

 _Your sworn protector still asks of you, as I thought I would pass on since he has not written anything to pass on instead. He is a man of action, not words, no? I am certain he wants to greet you in person, and will do so once he is able to ensure he will not be followed. Until then, I am certain these friends you speak so highly of will keep you entertained._

 _Your last letter was very enlightening, I must admit. Do these people know just how lucky they are to have you? I certainly would have you come to stay with me if I felt I could tear you away. But from the sounds of it, I would have a fight on my hands, no? I would love to hear more, as I feel I am getting to know them all through your eyes. Perhaps one day we will meet!_

 _Of course, his highness asks of you as well, certain that you are writing to me far more often than to him. I have dissuaded him of this as I could, but he does have a way of knowing the truth, does he not? Please ensure you send him a note, he sounds lonely and busy, which would normally be hard to do… but we all know how difficult it can be to be without your friends._

 _I see that you neglected to tell me of the men, {or women?} in your life last time. Are you going to make me beg? You know you are only making my curiosity grow! I'm certain with your beauty and, how did you put it? Curvy? Yes, your pleasing curves, that you are enticing plenty of suitors. If I find you are married without an invitation sent to me, I will be most upset, just so you are aware._

 _Your friend,_

 _L-_

* * *

Cat rolled her eyes as she reread the letter. __Leli was always so concerned with my love life, and never with her own!__ She had had many a conversation with Leliana about this, only to have the woman turn the tides back on her.

 _ _Married! What__ is __she thinking?!__ Cat thought as she shook her head. There wasn't anything further from her mind at the moment. She glanced up, and folding the letter, put it in her pocket.

She wondered again why she hadn't changed before coming to the Hanged Man, and as she walked out of Varric's room to join her friends, she turned back to go to Isabela's room in the hopes that she could find something that would show her body off a little less.

 _ _If anything, there's that blue shirt I gave her,__ she thought. __Issy's got to have__ one __pair of pants, right?__ While she doubted her own thoughts, she searched anyway and found a pair of pants that she'd say were more like leggings. Hoping that they actually belonged to Isabela and not someone else, she changed from her armor, and headed back out to the main room.

Joining the table where Isabela, Varric and Merrill were sitting, Cat noticed Aveline standing, looking like she was leaving.

"Aveline, where are you going?" she asked in a pleading sort of voice. "Don't leave me!" she cried dramatically, though with a smile.

Aveline rolled her eyes at Cat's theatrics, but sat back down. Varric and Isabela were having a whispered conversation, so Cat pulled Merrill into another with her and Aveline.

"I'm sorry to have taken so long, but I rarely get letters, and I couldn't wait to read it," she said by way of an explanation.

"From your friends in Fereldan?" Aveline asked with a smile.

"One of them, yes. She's quite nosy though, so I usually get some news of the others as well."

"Well that must be nice," Merrill said as she sipped something in front of her, making a face before sipping it again.

"Merrill, if you don't like it, you don't have to drink it," Aveline commented.

"It's not that bad," Merrill insisted. "Varric told me to acquire a taste for it."

"Are you sure he didn't say it was an acquired taste?" Cat asked.

"Yes," Merrill nodded. "Wait, what did I say?"

Aveline and Cat chuckled even as they shook their heads. Aveline reached over and switched her glass with Merrill's. "Oh, thank you Aveline," she said as she tried her new drink and it enjoyed it much more.

Cat ordered some wine and stretched slightly. "Some days seem long, but today felt never ending," she said.

"How is he?" Merrill asked in concern.

"He's doing well, but there are a lot of old wounds that haven't healed," she replied. "I mean, not real wounds," she added quickly at Merrill's horrified expression. "You know, like in his heart."

"Oh…" she said quietly.

"I can only imagine what life was like with that awful woman," Aveline said as she drank.

"Yeah, he has a hard time believing he's worth the trouble," Cat said with a sigh. "It's going to take time."

"Well we have plenty of that," Aveline responded. "But… I stayed because I want to talk about… you know what we were talking about… before."

"Oh?" Cat asked. "How's that, uh, project going?"

"Not well," Aveline said as she rubbed her temple. "It seems every time I try something, it backfires."

"Like what?" Cat asked.

"Well I tried giving him something that would share my feelings without, you know, sharing my feelings," Aveline said as she thought back.

"And?" Cat asked.

"He thought it was trash."

"Ooh…" Cat winced. "Uh, it couldn't have been that bad," she said, trying to look at the bright side.

"It was, believe me," Aveline replied despondently.

"Anything else?"

"I tried assigning him to the Hightown patrol, you know, as a reward?"

"Okay, and how did that go?"

"He came barging in my office, demanding to know what he did that I would punish him like that."

"Okay, so not great," Cat muttered. "But at least he came to your office right? Did you tell him why you really did it?"

Aveline looked at her like she was crazy. "Of course not! I was so flustered, I told him it was an accident and changed it right then."

"Oh."

"So?" she asked. "Any ideas? I'm in desperate need of help here."

"This is absolutely too delicious," a voice said softly, and Cat and Aveline looked up to find Isabela standing at the end of the table over them.

She stood up and put her hand on her forehead. "Let me see if I have this straight," she said with a laugh. " _ _You__ ," she said, pointing to Aveline, "are coming to __her__ " pointing to Cat, "for __advice about men?!"__ and with that, she started laughing loudly.

"I swear, I will gut you if you don't keep quiet!" Aveline hissed.

Isabela continued to chuckle, though she did lower her voice. Cat looked around, finally noticing that while Merrill was listening intently, Varric was now talking to several people at a nearby table. Cat felt herself being pushed, so she scooted over to make room for Isabela to sit.

"You do realize, that Kitty is even more clueless about signals than the unfortunate man you're talking about, don't you?"

"Hey!" Cat said in offense. "I'm not clueless, I have been __married__ you know."

"Oh yes, my mistake," Isabela said sarcastically. "Mostly clueless except for once," she corrected.

Cat crossed her arms and shot her a dirty look. "I am __not__ clueless."

Isabela smirked and looked at her in interest. "Shall I start naming names of those that have given you signals that you've missed?" she asked sweetly.

"No," Cat said even as Isabela began.

"There's "your friend" the Starkhaven prince, and "your friend" the Knight Captain, and "your friend" Anders, "your friend" Fenris, oh, and the man that works at that food stall we like, and don't forget about Norah here, oh, and the woman at the…"

"STOP!" Cat hissed at her. "It's not funny anymore," she said angrily. "You see signals everywhere you look, no matter if they are there or not!"

"Silly me, how could I forget," Isabela said snarkily. "And Hawke."

Cat's face went blank. "Now you're being ridiculous," she said as she downed her wine and held her hand up for another glass.

"Is that what I am?" Isabela asked, her smirk back in place. "Like I said, clueless."

"Isabela…" Aveline said in warning. "Perhaps this conversation is better suited for somewhere less… uh public?" Aveline offered.

"Of course," Isabela answered, her usual smirk on her face. "Merrill, come help me get some drinks," she said as Merrill got up and followed her to the bar.

Cat put her head in her hand. "I'm not going to like this, am I?" she asked.

"Probably not," Aveline answered, looking at her in sympathy.

"Never… ending… day," Cat muttered and she stood, gathering her glass and then following Aveline to Isabela's room.

* * *

"Which of these surfaces have you not had sex on?" Cat asked as Isabela led them inside. She smirked and offered Cat a shrug.

"Someone's feeling feisty," she replied.

"Look, I'm not looking forward to this," Cat retorted. "I should probably just go."

Isabela seemed to look disappointed, and Cat was taken aback. "Look Kitty," she began as she flopped on the bed and offered the wine bottle to Merrill. "I'm not going to just point out all the missed signals," she said somewhat contritely. "I know you, and I know that you miss some of them on purpose, to let the other person keep their dignity."

"What?" Merrill asked. "How does she do that?" Cat reached over and grabbed the bottle from Merrill who seemed all too glad to give it up.

"Oh there was this one time, back when we first met," Isabela began with a smile. "Kitty here had just joined my crew, and decided that she needed to improve her swimming skills."

"Oh Maker…" Cat groaned.

"What… happened?" Aveline asked tentatively, and looked at Cat in apology.

"Well Kitty didn't have extra clothes for swimming, not at first. She just stripped down to her unders, tied a rope around herself, and jumped into the water!"

Merrill and Aveline looked at her in surprise. "You didn't!" Merrill said in glee.

"She did. Of course, all the men were enjoying the show-"

" _ _And__ their captain," Cat cut in. She gave up on her glass and started drinking straight from the bottle, hoping she'd just fall asleep soon.

"Her too," Isabela consented. "When one of the lads decided he would ask Cat for a private encore."

Aveline and Merrill gasped, and Cat just shook her head at the dramatics.

"So what happened?"

"Oh he spent a good amount of time trying to convince Cat to let him __dry her off__ , if you know what I mean…"

"We always know what you mean," Aveline grumbled even as Merrill asked, "what __do__ you mean?"

"After trying fifteen or so different ways of suggesting it, with Kitty just sitting there saying, 'what?'", Isabela said in a high pitch while fluttering her lashes. "He finally figured out that she wasn't interested, and let it go."

"But what did he mean?" Merrill asked, even as she was ignored.

"You could of shot him down right away, but you let him think you were some innocent child instead, which not only insured that it wouldn't happen again, but that he'd protect you from anyone else that would try something."

Cat rolled her eyes. "I really didn't know what most of what he was saying meant," she muttered.

"But you caught the idea," Isabela said with a wink.

"So who was this man?" Aveline asked.

"My first mate," Isabela answered with a sad smile. "Biggest and most lovable guy there ever was."

"To Big Tom," Cat said quietly, holding up the bottle in salute, and taking a long drink.

"Aye," Isabela answered. "To Big Tom."

After a moment, Isabela turned to Aveline with a grin. "So… lady man hands has a man dangling on the hook does she?"

"I swear whore-" Aveline began.

"Hey!" Cat said with a glare to Aveline. "Don't say that like that."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like… like it's a bad thing."

"Oh… uh, my apologies to whores everywhere," she replied, and Cat nodded, looking satisfied.

"Anyway," Isabela gave Cat an odd look. "What's the problem?"

Aveline almost blurted it out, after all, the woman obviously got plenty of men, and might actually have good advice. But then she remembered it was Isabela, and stayed quiet.

"So there's this guy," Cat said, thinking that if she asked for herself, maybe Aveline could save some face, but still get the idea she needed. "He's a friend, and I'm thinking, maybe it would be great if we could be more than friends…"

Isabela's eyebrow went high, as she looked between Cat and Aveline. She was no fool, but she was always one to grab an opportunity when it presented itself. "Do tell," she replied.

"But, let's say I tell him, and he doesn't feel the same… well then, our friendship could be ruined."

Isabela settled back against the wall. "That's true," she said.

"So…" Cat glanced at Aveline, wanting to be sure that she didn't step over a line. "How do I let him know, while being able to maintain my friendship if it doesn't go as I want?"

"You should just tell him," Merrill said with a sigh. "It will make you feel better, and no one could not love you, Cat."

"Uh, thanks Merrill," she replied, handing her bottle off to Aveline, as her tongue felt tingly.

"That is good advice," Isabela said. "It can be freeing to just admit it."

"And if I'm not willing to do that?"

"Obviously the answer is to wrangle yourself into an plainly romantic situation, and see if he… takes the bait."

Cat snickered at the analogy, but her smile wiped away at Isabela's next words. "Though since you and Hawke have already done that, I'd say you should just admit it."

Cat sat up before rounding on Isabela. "I don't appreciate this, you know."

"It can be hard to face the truth," Isabela replied nonchalantly.

"Face the… what?!" Cat spluttered.

"You heard me Kitty," Isabela said with a sigh. "Why you are insisting on this dance between you two, I'll never understand."

"STOP IT!" Cat yelled loudly, her breathing erratic as she tried to clam herself. The other three stared at her in surprise. "I don't understand why you are doing this! I am not that type of friend, and why are you so insistent on having me admit feelings for a man, is… is… that one word! Appalling! Yeah, that's it!" Cat grinned in triumph at remembering the word.

"Merrill, time for you and I to go," Aveline said quietly.

"No, I'm sorry," Cat turned, instantly contrite. "I didn't mean to chase you out."

"Honestly?" Aveline said, "I think you two are overdue," she stood and gave Cat's shoulder a pat. "We'll see you tomorrow for lunch."

"Good night," Merrill said with a large smile. "I had such a good time!" Cat sat back down in her chair, feeling dizzy, as the two of them left.

Cat looked up finally as she heard Isabela clear her throat.

"I guess Aveline has a point, even if I'd never let her hear me say that," she began. "I… I'm not trying to upset you," she said. "I just thought if you finally said it out loud, you'd realize how you felt. Not really sure why that's appalling."

"If you knew me at all," Cat said icily, no longer concerned about keeping her anger in check. "Then you would know that I would never pursue a man that had been with a friend of mine. Regardless of how bad of a friend that friend was being."

Cat could see that Isabela was thinking through that one, and the look of confusion threw her off. "What don't you get?" she said snidely.

"You, obviously," Isabela replied. "You shouldn't spend time with Fenris anymore if you're going to start acting like him." Cat's eyes narrowed. "I'm trying to figure out what you meant by that," Isabela continued. "I thought you were talking about me, but obviously you're not, so who is it then?"

"What?" Cat asked. "It IS you."

"That's just not possible," Isabela replied.

"And how do you figure?" Cat demanded.

"Easy," she said seriously, which had Cat pausing. "I've never been with Hawke."

* * *

Cat was at a loss. She knew that Isabela was hardly ever serious, but when she was, it was worth taking notice. She also knew when Isabela was lying, and for the life of her, she couldn't understand how she could be saying those words truthfully.

There was also the fact that her heart had picked up speed, and she had no idea why.

"You're lying," Cat said quietly.

"We both know that I'm not," Isabela replied. "But I'd like to know what has you so certain."

"The morning after that night," Cat said slowly. "I came home, and Hawke was there… with you… and you were talking about having sex."

"That sounds like me," Isabela said with a smirk.

"Maker Issy," Cat grumbled, as she rubbed her forehead. "Is everything a joke to you?"

"You know I can't stand all the seriousness Kitty. I've reached my limit for the day."

"Try week," Cat groused.

"See?" Isabela beamed. "You __do__ know me."

"So you're telling me, that you and Hawke… aren't… together?" Cat asked. "With all the foreplay, and angry sex? Are you sure? I mean, it's epic."

"Really," Isabela questioned. "I'm pretty sure there was no foreplay or sex, angry or otherwise." She then waved it off like she was shooing a fly. "Doesn't matter. He wants you, not me."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute…" Cat said as she stood to pace, and fell back in her seat. "I mean, back then, sure I could see it, but now?" She faced Isabela and shook her head. "We're friends Issy, that's it."

"And why is it that I'm doubting that?" Isabela asked with a grin. "Let's say you're not the sharpest when it comes to that sort of thing."

"Rude," Cat grumbled. "But I still stand by it. Regardless of anything else, he's my friend, end of story."

"Ah… the plot thickens," Isabela muttered. "So you're not willing to let it be anything else," she clarified. Cat thought for a minute and nodded.

"That's right."

"I see."

"So I don't want to hear any more about admitting feelings or anything like that, got it?" Cat asked, simultaneously feeling relieved and pained, though she couldn't- or wouldn't- look deeper to understand why.

Isabela looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. Clearing her throat again, she reached over for her bottle, and took a long pull. "I think it's time I told you what's been going on," she said.

"High past time," Cat replied with a yawn, moving over to the bed to lie down.

"But there's a catch."

Cat looked at her suspiciously. "And that is?"

Isabela looked in her eyes, once again serious, and Cat felt goosebumps on her arms. "You cannot be involved, at all."

"What?" Cat demanded. "Why not?"

"Castillon," Isabela answered.

"What about him?" Cat asked, confused.

"I know I haven't shared much about him, and for good reason," Isabela said, without a smirk in sight, and Cat began to feel the dread and worry piling in her stomach as she sat up. "I've never met a more cold and calculating man in my life."

"Okay…" Cat replied.

"He doesn't see people as you or I do, he sees tools. Ways to get what he wants."

"Yeah, a lot of mercenaries are like that," Cat said.

"No," Isabela said with a sigh. "I don't know how to explain Kitty, so you can understand. If he knew about you," she explained. "If he knew there was someone that I cared even remotely about? He would take you, and use you to keep me in line."

"Issy, that's-"

"NO Kitty," she stressed, cutting her off. "He's sadistic. I've seen some of the people after he's done with them. He finds out what you fear, what you hate, what you love, and he twists them all around, until you are no longer the person you once were. He tortures, he changes, he molds… just to hurt someone else. Then he sends you back to your loved one as a shell of your former self, begging for death, so that all they can do is grant it."

Cat looked horrified, seeing the fear on Isabela's face, seeing her close in on herself. It was obviously even worse than what she was describing.

Isabela sighed. "I may not be a good friend, but I'd die before I let that happen."

"That… uh, that actually sounds like you're being a good friend…" Cat replied, and Isabela looked up, the haunted look in her eyes diminishing somewhat.

"That day… on the ship…" Isabela said with a far off look of remembrance. "That was almost me, but I was more useful in getting the relic. My death wouldn't have hurt anyone- the only reason I was spared," she said.

"Issy, don't say that," Cat said softly. "Me, the crew… we all would have been hurt."

"Thanks, but crews don't matter much to Castillon." Isabela straightened up, and rubbed her arms. "Enough of that," she said, though Cat felt she was talking to herself. "That's the deal," she told Cat. "I'll tell you what's going on, but that's the only way you're involved. No helping, no acting as look out, __nothing.__ Take it, or leave it."

Cat leaned over, putting her head on Isabela's shoulder. "You know, I've missed you," Cat said taking her hand.

"Back at you," Isabela replied.

"If that's all I get then, Captain, I'll take it."

* * *

 _9:33 Kingsway_

 _My Lord Constable of the Grey-_

 _I have sent a package to raise your spirits my friend, and don't eat it all at once! I have it on good authority, from another lover of cheeses, that this is some of the finest that Kirkwall has to offer, and it will keep well enough to reach you._

 _I have heard from a lovely bird that your commander is on an expedition, so that puts you in charge, which I know you dislike. However, I am also aware that you are an exceptional leader, so quit feeling sorry for yourself! Besides, just put Nathaniel in charge if you can't do it._

 _I'm certain that got through! Ha ha! I miss you Al, you big oaf. I am certain that you would fit into this Kirkwall group seamlessly, in fact our leader reminds me somewhat of you, except that he actually seems to like leading._

 _I see pieces of you and the others in the things that the people here do, from the healer to the warrior, the smirks, the lock picking, the occasional campfire, and the laughter. There is the stoic warrior, the bawdy rogue, the… well you get the idea._

 _In warning, I should tell you to prepare yourself sir, for when I see you again, I shall challenge you to a duel. My skills are growing while I fear yours are rusting as you sit in your office handing down commands. You should challenge Nathaniel to a spar right this moment, for you have no time to lose, and you need all the practice you can get, old man._

 _Oh, and any news you can give me of Carver Hawke, for his mother, would be most appreciated._

 _-Cat_

* * *

Nathaniel looked up at the strange choking sounds coming from the other side of the room. "What has gotten in to you?" he asked in confusion.

"That little minx!" Alistair muttered, as he continued to read from a paper.

"Are you all right?" Nathaniel asked.

"Yes, yes," Alistair replied, "as you were," as he waved him off.

"You were going to tell me who you wanted to send on tomorrow's scouting expedition," Nathaniel said as he rose from his own chair. "Or would you prefer I decide?"

"What?" Alistair's voice took on an edge as his head snapped up. "Of course, I can do it," he said quickly, and Nathaniel handed the paper with a list of names on it to him.

"I don't recognize any of these names," Alistair finally grumbled as he handed it back to Nathaniel. "Do you… have any suggestions?" he asked.

"Of course," Nathaniel bent over circling several names before handing it back. "These are the wardens with experience in tracking or field work," he said.

Alistair nodded, and looked over to what he had been reading. "Nathaniel, I'm not old," he declared.

"Uh, no," he replied. "I'd say we are fairly close in age actually."

"That's right," Alistair pounced on that as if it were a prize. "And we're some of the best we've got!"

"Undoubtedly," Nathaniel agreed, still unsure of what was happening.

"Then it's decided! I'll meet you on the training field!" Alistair said as he circled a few more names on the paper and rushed to hand it off to his assistant.

Nathaniel looked over, and skimmed the letter Alistair had been reading. He smirked as he realized what had gotten into the man, and decided he could spare an hour or two for some exercise. __I'm now eager to meet this woman,__ he thought as he went to fetch his bow and daggers. __She accomplished in one paragraph what I've been trying to do for weeks.__


	58. Chapter 58-Framing Templars and Gifts

As she walked into the Hanged Man, Cat could scarcely believe how this dive of a tavern had become like a second home. She looked around as she entered, hoping to find the man she had been looking for the past few days. Smiling as she spotted him, she made a quick detour to speak with him before making her way to Isabela's room.

Cat followed behind Isabela as they then walked down the hall to Varric's room. "I wonder what this is all about?" she asked.

"No idea," Isabela replied. She opened the door to find almost all of their crew in the room. "But it seems as though this wasn't just a summons for us."

"It has been a few weeks since our last job," Cat said. "Perhaps Hawke finally has something lined up besides problems with the Qunari." They headed to the large table and took a seat to wait for Hawke to begin.

"I'm sorry Kitty," Isabela answered. "I know you've been bored lately. Between the relic, and the Qunari, there hasn't been much time for anything else."

"I didn't think it would be a big deal to stay out of those two messes," Cat replied with a smirk. "But everyone else has been involved with them, so I've been on my own lately."

"I thought you were spending your days with Anders and Olivia?" Isabela asked, even as she looked around the room for the healers.

"They haven't been home much themselves," Cat answered. "They are getting very involved in the mage underground. In fact, I've spent a few days with Cullen, and the mage disappearances were all I heard the templars talking about."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, obviously Cullen is looking for those that are helping others escape, but most of the recruits are spreading rumors about the mages learning to turn invisible or escaping through the fade."

"Preposterous," Fenris spoke up as he sat across from Cat.

"Hi Fenris," Cat greeted him. She had hardly seen him in days, as he spent most of his time with Hawke.

"Cat," he answered with a nod at her. "You've been spending time with the Knight Captain again?" he asked.

Cat nodded. Isabela handed her a cup of wine, and she turned with, "Thanks Issy," before taking a drink.

"No problem," came the reply.

Noting something behind her, Cat turned back the other way, just as Hawke reached out to get her attention. The shock of a large hand on her chest was enough to cause the wine to spew from her mouth as she jumped.

Those in the room went silent as they all looked over at Hawke, whose face was dripping with wine, and whose hand was on his own chest, as if it had been burned. Their eyes then went to Cat, who had an arm covering her chest, while her other hand wiped her gaping mouth.

"I…I'm so sorry Hawke!" Cat finally managed to squeak out. "I didn't mean…" she reached over to place her wine cup on the table, but missed. Hawke reached out just in time to keep it from falling, and Cat pulled her own hand back like it had been shot at.

Hawke steadied the cup on the table, grabbing the cloth that Varric handed him, and wiped his face. "My fault completely, I should be the one apologizing," he replied. He looked over at Cat's beet red face, and gave her a gentle smile. _The only way to make this easier was to not make a big deal of it,_ he thought. "I didn't mean to startle you," he said.

"Uh, right… no problem," she muttered, hunching her shoulders in embarrassment.

"Well, I have to admit, the wine is good. Perhaps I'll have some more, in a glass this time," Hawke told the group, and they laughed good-naturedly.

"Coming right up," Isabela offered, pouring another glass. Hawke moved Cat's glass back in front of her before taking the proffered glass from Isabela and settling himself in his seat.

"I suppose you all have been wondering why we are here," Hawke started with a smile. The others took their cue and began finding places to sit.

"Kitty and I were guessing another job," Isabela offered.

"No, well… not at first anyway," Hawke replied.

"Uh, Hawke? Choir boy isn't here yet," Varric interrupted.

"He wasn't able to come, but that's all right," Hawke replied with a shrug. "Actually, Sebastian is what started me thinking about this."

Hawke took a moment to look around the room at all of his friends. "It isn't much, but with your pay this month, I wanted to include a small gift, just to let you each know how much I appreciate you. Not just the work you do, but for your friendship." He nodded to Varric, who handed him a small bag. "Now, these are nothing big, in fact, most of them were picked up along the way during jobs. But they made me think of each of you."

"Ooh, look at this," Isabela cooed. Cat leaned over to see the model ship.

"Hey, now you can introduce yourself as Captain again, since technically, you have a ship."

Isabela let out a throaty laugh. "Too right Kitty, though the sad part is I can't go for a sail." She pushed Cat back to lean over towards Hawke. "Thank you Hawke, for the sweet gesture," she said.

"My pleasure," Hawke answered with a grin.

Cat watched as the others opened their presents, whether delighted, such as Merrill and Varric, or needing some convincing as to Hawke's intentions like Aveline and Anders.

Merrill leaned over the table to show Cat her new sylvanwood ring, and asked what she had gotten. Cat followed her gaze down to the table in front of her to see a small package. Surprised, as she hadn't been expecting anything, she slowly opened it.

"What is it?" Isabela asked, as Cat pulled the amulet out of the box by its cord.

"Ooh!" Merrill exclaimed excitedly. "That's Master Ilen's work too!"

Cat turned to glance at Hawke in question, still holding the amulet in front of her. It wasn't a necklace like the small silver one she was wearing, but what looked like a large tooth encircled with a fine metal wire and attached to a long cord.

"It's called Fen'Harel's tooth," Hawke said to Cat in response to her look. "Master Ilen crafted it for a hunter. It helps to evade traps, as well as protect against the wildlife. I thought it was fitting since you are learning how to disarm traps, and well…spiders."

"Thank you, truly," Cat said with a smile. She moved to put it over her head, but found the cord too small to fit.

"Here," Hawke said, grabbing the cord and untying it. "Turn around," he said as he gestured for her to turn away, and she did so, lifting her braid away from her neck. It didn't take long, until he was finished, and looking down, she saw the tooth sitting right below her clavicle.

"It fits you," Merrill said as she turned back face forward.

"Thank you," Cat said once more. She then turned and repeated her thanks to Hawke. He gave her a smile and then cleared his throat.

"Now, let's get down to business," he said loudly, and they all quieted down. "I think we are all aware of how escalated things are becoming with the Qunari, so we won't speak of that," he muttered. "But there have been a few other developments. Varric?"

Varric cleared his throat, and told the group of getting rumors of Bartrand coming back to Kirkwall, and how he and Hawke had gone to see him. He spoke in disgust of the conditions of the home, as well as what the servant had said of Bartrand's behavior. Finally he told them of his brother's death.

Merrill gasped, but Cat had been expecting the news. She gave her condolences, and Varric waved them away. "He made his choice down in the Deep Roads," he said in response, but Cat could tell he hadn't quite made peace with himself over it.

Varric ended by telling them that he still hadn't been able to find the idol that Bartrand had brought out of the Deep Roads, and while they hadn't been able to make sense of most of what he said, it had sounded like he sold it.

"Hopefully, that's that, and we won't hear anymore about it," Hawke said. "Though I know I'm not that lucky."

"True," Varric said with a smirk. "Lucky is definitely not a term I would use for the likes of us."

"Anything else?" Hawke asked him.

"Actually, yes," Varric replied, shuffling through some papers. "These are the letters you asked me to go through. While several of them were nothing more than offers of work that would pay next to nothing, and a few pleas for help doing menial tasks, there were a few that looked promising…"

"Oh?" Hawke asked, as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Such as?"

"This one here, we already took care of, you know those groups of assassins we kept running into?"

"Wait, that wasn't a coincidence?" Hawke demanded.

"Not exactly," Varric replied. "Seems there is a fellow that decided to stretch the truth of some of his exploits, and before he knew it, he was given credit for several crimes in multiple countries. He's now on the run, trying to stay alive while assassins from all over Thedas are hunting him."

"Sounds like something that could happen to our own story teller," Isabela muttered to Cat, who chuckled.

"Any way…" Varric continued with a wink to Cat. "He's safe now, and gave us a reward for our help."

"All right," Hawke said.

"And then there is this one," Varric said, holding up a paper. "But I'll let the little dove explain."

All eyes turned to Cat who smiled widely at Varric. "I just finished on my way here," she said, "and we should see results today or tomorrow."

"Excellent," Varric answered with a matching grin.

"Are you going to tell us what it is?" Fenris asked Cat.

"Sure," she replied. She held out her hand for the letter, and Varric handed it to Hawke who passed it on to Cat. "We received this letter from a group of mages who are still anonymous," she began. "directing us to a woman in the docks named Mistress Selby. She has a legitimate business, but she also acts as a go between for mages and those that look to help them."

Cat looked over at Anders with a smile. "Apparently, her sister was a mage, and was made tranquil for reasons unknown. All that I could find out was that the templars claimed she was dangerous. This was many years ago, so there wasn't much I could discover. Mistress Selby however, says that her sister was one of the most gentle people ever born, and wouldn't even hurt a fly."

Cat continued on, as she could see the tension in Anders' face, as well as feel Hawke's next to her. "One task on her list you all completed, saving that mage girl from being sold by slavers out on the wounded coast." Several of the others nodded in response as they remembered. "However the other required more information. It asked that a templar be taken out."

"What?" Aveline questioned. "You're not seriously suggesting…"

"No, I am not," Cat interrupted her. "But before taking action of any kind, I wanted to find out more about the man. Since I was already spending time at the Gallows, it seemed a good opportunity to observe."

"And?" Hawke asked.

"And they were right," Cat replied. "Ser Conrad is one of the worst examples of a templar that I've ever seen. He doesn't care about what is right and wrong, he uses his power and authority to take what he wants from the mages, and has performed an astonishing amount of tranquility rituals."

Cat sighed. "I don't think I need to list all his crimes, but just suffice it to say, that even Cullen doesn't like the man. There have also been rumors that he has made several women tranquil because they refused his advances…" she looked up as Anders' hand banged on the table. "I could not verify that, but… I believe it. The man is disgusting."

Isabela grabbed her shoulder then, and looked in her eyes. "What did he do Kitty?" she asked.

"What?" Cat replied. "Nothing."

Hawke now pulled her other shoulder, turning her back. "What happened?" he insisted.

"Nothing, really." She caught all the skeptical glances. "I promise, he just was speaking to me, while Cullen got pulled away for something. Nothing happened, because Cullen came back."

"Would something have happened if he hadn't?" Varric asked shrewdly.

Cat's face became angry as she remember the sleazeball. "Yeah, he would have found several daggers sticking out of his body," she snarled.

She was relieved that after that they dropped it. She had been truthful, he was careful not to say anything directly, but he implied plenty, and she had felt dirty for hours afterward. But she also meant what she had said. Cullen coming back had saved him from his death, not saved her from anything.

"Needless to say, I've been working on a way of taking him out… of the templar order. Death would be too good for him, I'd rather see him disgraced and suffering."

"I'm so proud," Isabela said softly with a grin.

"You said earlier that you had finished?" Fenris asked.

"Yes," Cat answered with a grin for him. "I believe I've hammered the final nail in his coffin. Would you like the details?" she asked, to a unanimous agreement. "Then grab a drink, this may take a moment," she replied.

"I knew I'd need more than one crime, as one could be easily dismissed. But knowing Cullen, he would never let two serious accusations go, especially if there were witnesses. So, I started with the obvious, having lyrium delivered to the Gallows for him. I chose today, knowing that Cullen was teaching the recruits in the courtyard this afternoon."

"Clever…" Varric smirked at her.

"And the second?" Anders asked eagerly.

"The second… well I wanted to get some justice for those women. After Cullen chased off Ser Conrad, he apologized for his behavior, saying that he was just feeling stir crazy since he was confined to the Gallows. When I asked why, he told me that there had been accusations to his character, and he was to stay in the Gallows until an investigation was completed."

"You didn't…" Aveline said, though she was smiling.

"Of course I did," Cat stated. "Not only that, but the templar performing said investigation is quite lyrium-addled. I've spoken to him five times now, in different clothes and changing my hair, and he had no idea I was the same person. I gave witness of horrible acts that Ser Conrad was engaged in, mostly including livestock-"

She stopped as several of the men choked on their drinks, and Isabela started laughing loudly. "Maker's breath, Cat!" Anders spluttered.

"What?" Cat asked with a shrug. "He deserves it! Ser Roderick is no doubt heading back to the Gallows now with all his evidence to give to Cullen, and then the lyrium will be delivered in the courtyard in front of all the templar recruits and the Knight Captain…"

"And Ser Conrad will be denounced and thrown out of the templars," Hawke finished for her. "Cat… this was truly, amazing."

"Oh, well… I had plenty of time on my hands," she replied happily.

"A toast, to Cat!" Anders called out.

"Officially of course, I can't condone such things," Aveline said saluting Cat with her glass. "But as a citizen, all I can say is, well done."

"Agreed," Fenris added. "A fitting punishment for the crime."

"Good job little dove," Varric said.

"Wouldn't expect anything less from you," Hawke tacked on after Varric.

"You learned from the best," Isabela said with a wink. "Though you keep surprising me."

"Thank you Cat, for looking out for mages," Merrill said with a smile.

"Cheers!" they all said as they drank, and Cat laughed along with them.

Hawke let the merriment go as long as he could before steering the conversation back to business.

"Any other matters to discuss?" Hawke asked, and Anders cleared his throat.

"You remember the feeling of those tomes that we've been destroying?" Anders asked, and Fenris, Hawke and Merrill all nodded. "I've been feeling something that seems similar, in Darktown. I'd feel better if we looked into it."

"That can be arranged," Hawke said as he grabbed one of Varric's papers and made a note.

"There are also a few more gangs trying to take over the neighborhood again," Varric added, and Hawke made another note. "And one final letter asking you to use your skills in disposing of a few bodies."

"What?" Hawke asked in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"Unfortunately I am," Varric replied. "Though I am glad to hear you say that. That was one job I was hoping to refuse."

"Definitely a refusal," Hawke said with a roll of his eyes. "I swear, sometimes I feel as if I'm the entire city's nanny."

"Aren't you?" Isabela asked with a smirk, even as Aveline scowled at her. "Too many good deeds, and this is what you get."

"Shut up," Aveline said, though it only made Isabela smile.

"You're just mad because I'm right," she countered, and Aveline glowered at her, but said nothing.

"Very well, if that's all, take the rest of the day," Hawke said as he stood. "We'll meet tomorrow morning to go to Darktown."

Hawke stood and made his way away from the table, most of the others following his lead. Several went to speak to him, but Cat just stayed where she was to finish her drink.

"Well my friend," Fenris began and Cat smiled. Ever since their argument after he killed Hadriana, Fenris had been trying to understand the whole idea of friendship. After having that talk with Hawke, she never thought she'd have it again, but she had been surprised at the ideas and thoughts that Fenris had associated with the word.

In her mind, it was obvious that everything he had learned was from observing Danarius, who wouldn't actually have true friends, but she didn't point that out. She just gave countering examples, using Hawke and the others to demonstrate her point. After several days, and many, many talks with Hawke, Fenris had come to her with a hug. She was so happy she had started crying, which of course had him thinking that he had done something wrong…

They had come a long way, and she still grinned every time he called her friend, knowing what the word now meant to him.

"Yes?" she asked in reply.

"I'm glad we are doing something different tomorrow, so that you can accompany us," he said. "These last few days have been missing the levity you bring to our group."

"Hawke didn't try to tell jokes again did he?" she asked quietly, even as Fenris rolled his eyes.

"They are getting worse," he answered. "The other day he was making puns about how the wounded coast got its name."

Cat could see Aveline waiting a small distance away, and she waved her forward. She glanced at Fenris and Cat just smiled. "Don't worry, Fenris can keep a secret," she said quietly.

"I… uh, I just wondered how last night went?" Aveline asked.

"You mean when I invited Donnic to the Hanged Man, and you never showed up?" Cat asked quietly. "How do you think it went?"

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't do it," Aveline said as she look disheartened. "What did he say?"

"Uh, well… he thinks __I'm__ interested in him, and tried to use you as a reason to get him alone with me."

Fenris chuckled, and Cat gave him a glare. "Perhaps you should just talk to the man?" he offered.

"I try, but I'm a mess," Aveline said. "The only time I'm comfortable is on patrol, but that's no place to have that type of conversation… and I'm tired of making a fool of myself."

"The answer is simple then, isn't it?" Hawke asked as he slid next to Cat on the bench.

"Uh… Hawke!" Aveline squeaked in surprise. "We were discussing some bandits…"

"You don't want my help?" Hawke asked with a pout, and Cat covered her mouth to keep from chuckling.

"No, I mean, of course I do… it's just that… uh…"

"Great!" Hawke replied, overlooking her stammering. "So here's my idea. You go on patrol with this Donnic, and we," he pointed around to Fenris and Cat, "will clear the way so you have time to talk. What do you think?" he asked.

Fenris and Cat looked to Aveline, seeing as she was trying to find the down side to Hawke's plan. Finally she smiled. "You're too good at this," she replied. "Are you free this evening?"

* * *

"And that's how we found ourselves roped into clearing out bandits on the wounded coast," Cat said to Varric.

"Thanks Little dove, but what I asked was, how did __I__ get roped into this," Varric replied.

"Oh, that's easy," Cat replied. "You're nosy and wouldn't stop pestering us about where we were going, and eventually followed us out here."

"Oh, right," he said.

"Here we go!" Hawke called out, and they all rushed forward to deal with a group of bandits. Once finished, Hawke sent up a small fire, giving a flare to let Aveline know it was clear. They waited until they heard the conversation flowing up from below them, and Hawke gave a snort.

"What kind of conversation is that?!" he muttered, as he led the group further down the path.

It wasn't long until they encountered another group of bandits, and made quick work of them. Again, Hawke sent up a flare, and again, they waited for Aveline to catch up.

"A blade for every purpose, don't you agree?" they could hear Aveline say.

"Uh, I'm sorry Captain, I think I got lost in my thoughts," came the reply.

"In the nicest way possible, she's hopeless," Varric said quietly.

"Let's go," Hawke grumbled.

For the third time, Hawke's group took care of those that would cause trouble, and waited for Aveline. Hearing the conversation, Hawke stalked over to stand in the path, his face determined, and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Some one's going to get it…" Varric said in a sing song voice, causing Cat to giggle.

"She kind of deserves it," she agreed. "That isn't what we've practiced at all."

"You two practiced?" Varric asked, an eyebrow shooting up. "Do tell."

"Sorry, sworn oath to never tell," Cat replied, but smiled at his disappointed look.

Aveline and Donnic walked up, and seeing Hawke, she smiled nervously. "Hawke! What a surprise!" she said, and Hawke just glared at her.

"Aveline," he responded, scolding her with just her name.

"Hawke, don't," she replied.

"You'll feel better once it's done," he said.

Cat chose that moment to go over to Hawke. It wasn't that they had been hiding, but they also hadn't been noticed. She knew this would turn out well, __I hope__ , she thought, but wanted to be as gentle as possible.

"What's going on?" Donnic asked, confused.

"Well, remember what you thought I was trying to get the nerve to tell you the other day at the Hanged Man? Aveline is __actually__ trying to get the nerve to tell you that."

"Captain?" Donnic asked, as he turned to Aveline.

"Uh…huh, huh…." Her voice came out like a strangled laugh.

"I should get back to the barracks…" Donnic said, and strode off.

"That was unexpected," Hawke said, staring at the guard's back.

"Actually, that turned out rather well," Cat replied.

"How can you say that?!" Aveline demanded. "You two are going to the barracks right now to apologize and explain yourselves!"

"Aveline, I am more than happy to apologize and take responsibility, but I'm just saying, it isn't over."

"Oh yes it is!" she answered, hiding her embarrassment with anger.

"Aveline, this is a new idea for Donnic, and he probably hadn't given it much thought before since you're his captain. He just needs some time to process it," Hawke said, squeezing her shoulder.

"The barracks," she replied through gritted teeth. "Now."

The three of them set off, Cat worried, Fenris unconcerned, and Hawke hopeful, with a disappointed and sad Aveline walking behind them. Cat looked back, wanting to help her friend, but she merely shook her head at Cat, wanting to be left alone.

 _ _Please let this work out,__ Cat said to herself. __For all our sakes.__

* * *

Coming to the guard barracks, Cat was greeted by many of the guards, and Hawke by a few. Questions and conversations stopped mid sentence as Aveline herded them towards her office. Speculative looks followed them as the guards wondered what had happened.

Just before entering, Donnic stepped forward. "I'd like a word with the captain," he told them. "Alone."

Aveline looked nervous, but Cat grinned as inwardly she was jumping and shouting in victory. She gave Aveline a smile, knowing that very shortly, her friend would be even happier.


	59. Chapter 59- The Evil Pit

If anyone had said months ago that Cat would not only be friends with Hawke, but that they would bond by teasing Fenris… she would have laughed in their faces. However that is exactly what happened the next morning.

Hawke came by the mansion early, __Undoubtedly,__ Cat thought, __to have some of our food.__ The knock sounded at the door just as they were about to eat.

"Your timing is as impeccable as ever," Fenris commented as he opened the door to Hawke.

"Is it?" Hawke smirked. "Well, if you're inviting, I won't refuse."

Cat rolled her eyes, but got a third setting out for Hawke to join them for their meal. As the two made their way to the table, Fenris asked, "Do you not enjoy your food at home?"

"It's not that…" Hawke said as he looked away. "More that both Bodahn and Mother are insistent that we live as nobles now. It's far too extravagant. Can you imagine eating as if you were at a banquet for every meal?" he asked.

"I cannot imagine eating at a banquet at all," Fenris replied without emotion.

Hawke winced and began back pedaling. "Uh… I didn't mean… uh…"

 _"_ _ _He's teasing you…"__ Cat whispered as she passed by Hawke to set the food down on the table. It wasn't much, but served their needs. Mostly fruits with a few muffin-type bread rolls, and cheese.

Hawke looked as Cat gave Fenris a glare before he realized that she spoke the truth. __Two can play that game, friend…__ he thought.

"Besides that, it is of the highest compliment to eat at the home of a friend, but if you would rather I didn't…" Hawke said lightly, giving Cat a wink.

It was Fenris' turn to back pedal, looking over to Cat to verify Hawke's statement. She thought she might regret it, but decided it was only fair and gave Fenris a serious nod. "We're always happy to share a meal with you Hawke," she said kindly. "I'm sure not everyone is allowed such an honor…"

While she was exaggerating enough that Fenris could catch on, and Hawke's eyes narrowed on her face, Cat just kept her smile in place. Fenris immediately spoke of having Hawke over more in the future, and Cat shook her head once she wasn't being watched.

Hawke himself wasn't one to let a joke go on for too long, and eventually came clean to Fenris. The elf pretended to be outraged, but became sheepish as Cat and Hawke teamed up against him about his own teasing before that.

The two then began bringing up moments designed to unnerve the other, asking Cat to confirm how each had happened. The three ending up reminiscing and telling stories to each other of their individual adventures, laughing uproariously at their earlier ineptitude.

"We are meeting the others soon, are we not?" Fenris finally asked, steering the conversation away from a particular fight he had tried to have with a squirrel.

"We still have some time," Hawke commented. "What are your plans after Darktown?"

"I had not made any, you seem to get into enough trouble to keep us all busy," Fenris said with a smirk.

"I'd deny that, but we would all know I would be lying," Hawke retorted. "You, Cat?"

"I'm meeting with Cullen. I was going to ask to take Hafter, he misses seeing him." She stood and gathered the remains of the meal to clean up, heading out to the kitchen.

Hawke turned and grinned at Fenris. "So, the Knight Captain is not only trying to steal my rogue, but now my dog too?" He hollered so that she could hear him from the other room.

Cat hustled back into the dining room, her eyes wide. "Whaat?" she said. "He's not trying to steal anything! And I'm not __your__ rogue!"

"Well, you __are__ part of my crew, aren't you?" he asked as he examined his fingernail, pulling out a small knife to clean underneath it. "I just don't appreciate him trying to steal you away to become a templar."

"A temp- what in the world gave you that idea?" Cat said, standing with her hands on her hips, looking at him like he was insane.

Fenris wasn't slow, he knew what Hawke was doing, and he knew Hawke wanted him to help him do it. He just wanted to be sure Cat wouldn't throw a knife first. Then he decided, __what fun would life be without a little risk?__

"I think we're all aware of what the __Templar__ wants…" Fenris added in a nonchalant voice, and Cat's gaze whipped to him in dismay. He kept his expression stoic, though he could see the glee in Hawke's.

"And what is that?" Cat asked tightly.

"Clearly the man is trying to steal away the mabari's affections, and is using you to accomplish this," he said in perfect deadpan.

Cat's jaw dropped open, and Hawke could no longer hold in his laughter, exploding with it. Cat glanced back and forth between the two of them, before smirking. "You realize what this means, don't you?" she asked Fenris, who looked at her in apprehension. "You," she pointed at Hawke, "will no longer be warned when he," pointing back to Fenris, "is teasing you." She walked over to Fenris, "and you!" she said as he stood to face her. "Are simply delightful!" she exclaimed as she gave him a hug.

"What?" Hawke complained. "I'm being punished, and he gets hugs?"

"Oh, no."

"No?" he asked her.

"He is no longer immune from teasing, and he'll regret it very very soon," she answered as she walked from the room to get her things. "We'd better get going!" she called.

The two men glanced at each other. "No wonder she never messed with you before," Hawke said. "Sorry about that."

"No need," Fenris replied. "I brought it on myself. Though I think I may enjoy the experience."

"I wouldn't count on that…" Hawke warned, as they took their leave.

* * *

"Did we really __all__ need to be here?" Varric asked. "It's just another book, right?"

"No, well, maybe," Cat replied. "But we already destroyed all the tomes we were told about, so we're not really sure what we're dealing with here. Better to be safe, than sorry, right?"

In actuality, Cat knew exactly what they were dealing with, and had told Fenris and Anders to ensure that everyone was accompanying Hawke today. She had also explained that Hawke needed to read this book, not destroy it, which did not please either of them.

She had tried to explain about what had happened in the fade when they were saving Feynriel, and Hawke had received an upgrade- for lack of a better word- but Fenris held out that it had been evil magic. She had finally commented about more troubles coming, and Hawke needing every advantage he could get before Fenris relented.

Anders on the other hand, had entirely different reservations. Magic wasn't meant to be taught just by reading words, and he was convinced that Cat was somehow brainwashed and trying to brainwash others in turn.

She had looked in his eyes an told him that extremely bad things were going to happen, and while she wouldn't tell him what they were, he needed to trust that she was going to make right the things that she could. She wouldn't let him become friendless and alone.

Of course, that had opened an entirely new bag of worms, which she couldn't and wouldn't elaborate on. He then said he trusted her, but that she needed to understand that it wasn't always easy to do.

And now here they were, the entire crew, crawling into an underground cavern in Darktown. Cat was surprised that it didn't smell as bad as the rest of Darktown, and it almost seemed as if the passage was taken care of. By whom, she couldn't even begin to guess.

"So…" Isabela said, breaking the silence. "How did things go yesterday?" she asked Aveline. Aveline turned to Cat in dismay, and she shook her head. "No, Kitty didn't tell me," Isabela smirked. "She was loyally tight-lipped. The dwarf however…" she drawled.

Aveline turned to glare at Varric. "What?" he asked. "No one said it was a secret."

Aveline sighed hugely. "He's speaking to his family," she replied.

"About?" Isabela prodded. Aveline looked around hoping for help to get Isabela off her back, but everyone was looking at her expectantly, and she sighed again.

"It's a secret," she said with a tiny smile at everyone else's disappointment. "Since I have no family, his will handle the dowry."

"You're getting married?!" Hawke demanded.

"Not right this moment," Aveline said merrily. "But eventually… yes."

"I KNEW IT!" Cat hollered, and threw her arms around Aveline. "See? I knew you weren't hopeless!"

"That makes one of us," Isabela added on, smiling at Aveline's glare. "You almost did yourself in for a moment there," she said. "Good work."

The others gave their congratulations, and Aveline allowed it for as long as she could stand before ordering everyone back on task. Cat could see that she couldn't quite get rid of her smile however.

Opening a door, Anders held it open for the others to walk through, and the group found themselves in a large room with four large pillars. It was lit with torches lining the walls, and although it was clean, it also had the feel of a room that was abandoned many years ago.

Hawke stepped forward towards a large stand on which rested an open book. He glanced at it curiously before turning back to look at his crew. "So, are we ready to destroy it?" he asked.

 _ _There is no need for that…__

Hawke, Anders and Merrill all stiffened with a quick inhale of breath, and the others looked at each of them in concern.

"What is it?" Sebastian asked quietly, eyeing the corners of the room, his bow in hand.

"Please tell me someone else heard that…" Hawke spoke up.

"No," was the collective answer.

"Balls."

"Uh...Yes," Anders said hesitantly.

"Yes!" Merrill exclaimed happily.

"Must be a mage thing…" Varric muttered.

"Thank the Maker, I thought I was crazy," Hawke said.

"You are darling," Isabela said. "But we like you that way."

"So… uh, what did you hear?" Cat asked.

"A voice… uh, I think, from the book?" Hawke replied, looking uncertain. "I know, I know," he said as several of his friends gave him an incredulous look. He stepped forward to look at the open grimoire, the pages larger than any he had seen before. He stared at it for a moment, before shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, only to stare at the pages once more.

"Hawke?" Aveline asked.

"It's strange…" Hawke replied, still looking at the page. "When I try to concentrate on the words, they swim around on the page. I can't actually read anything that is written here!"

"What?" Aveline asked in disbelief before stepping forward to look at the page.

 _ _There is a power that comes with the words…__

"There it is again!" Hawke said, looking around and finally back at the book. Merrill was slowly stepping forward, while Anders was increasing his distance.

 _ _I will give you this knowledge in exchange for a promise…__

Hawke glared at the book, wary of a trap.

"Oh Hawke, let's do it!" Merrill cheered excitedly. "Just imagine what we can learn!"

"What's going on Daisy?" Varric asked.

"The book," Anders interrupted. "It says it will give power by way of knowledge, in exchange for a promise." He too then stepped closer to the group, still staying far from the book as he could. "Don't do this Hawke. The promise will not be something you will like."

"You can't __know__ that," Merrill said angrily. "We should do it!"

"But what is the promise?" Varric asked, and Hawke shrugged.

"I haven't a clue, but I won't make deal without knowing my side of the bargain,"Hawke replied. He cocked his head as he listened to something, and those that weren't mages felt frustrated in not being able to hear what he obviously could.

"Apparently, the book simply wants a promise to leave it alone afterwards," Hawke finally said.

"If that were it, I wouldn't have a problem," Varric commented. "But can that truly be all?"

"What about the other books we encountered?" Aveline said. "Did they offer this same bargain?"

"Apparently so, but I think only Merrill could hear it," Cat reasoned.

"Which means it has something to do with blood magic," Fenris sneered.

"Then let me do it," Merrill shot back. "I'm not asking anyone else to take this bargain."

"I can't do that Merrill," Hawke replied. "If anyone is going to do this, it will be me." He turned around to face his crew. "I'll be honest, I'm feeling conflicted about this, and I'd like to know where you all stand." He started to his right, looking at Merrill.

"You should do it," she said immediately. Looking next at Sebastian, who replied almost as quickly.

"You should not."

Hawke turned to Fenris, who looked down, then glanced over at Cat. He then very quietly said, "I agree… with Merrill."

Sebastian looked at him in shock, as did several others. Hawke even seemed surprised, but concealed it well, looking over to Cat.

"I think so too, it seems worth the risk," she answered his silent question.

"Honestly, I don't care either way, but getting something from these books seems reasonable," Isabela said next.

"I'll follow your decision Hawke," Varric spoke next, "but if it were me, I don't think I would do it."

Hawke nodded, and looked at Aveline who shook her head. "It's too dangerous," she replied. "Too many things could go wrong."

Hawke nodded again, and turned finally to Anders. He looked conflicted, though if Hawke were to guess, he would say Anders was disgusted by the tome entirely. His friend finally looked up and met his eye. "It could be dangerous, it's true…" he replied staring at the tome. "But it could also be worth the risk. It seems the book simply wants to exist, nothing more."

If Hawke was surprised by Fenris, he was bowled over by Anders' words. With this new information, his decision became all the more difficult, but after a moment, he decided that his friends were right. It __was__ a dangerous idea, but…

"I'll do it," he said, turning back to the tome. "Be ready though… uh, just in case."

They all pulled out their weapons, and some of them turned around, creating a semi circle around Hawke, some watching him, and others the room around them.

"If it's anything like the other tomes, we'll have a fight on our hands…" Cat warned.

Hawke stepped forward to look at the pages. "You have my word," he said aloud. "You will be left in peace." After he spoke, he found the effect of the words on the page was gone, and the words began coming almost faster than he could read them. He grabbed onto the podium, focusing with all his might to read the words as they danced across the page.

Hawke suddenly grabbed either side of his head. It wasn't painful, not in the normal sense anyway. It was as if knowledge was being burned into his mind, searing through his skull. It was not a comfortable feeling.

"Hawke?" He could hear someone ask, and he opened his eyes, feeling more powerful… stronger… than he had just moments ago. He also found that he couldn't even bear to look at the tome, and quickly turned away from it.

They all tensed as they heard the roaring of a rage demon as it sprung out of the ground, and readied their weapons.

"Rage demon!" Anders shouted.

"Abominations!" Isabela called, even as she disappeared.

"Rage! Here too!" Sebastian yelled as he began firing.

"DESIRE DEMON! Cat called out in terror, even as the demon grabbed her arm and threw her away from the group, sailing over the floor to follow.

"I am no mere demon…" it purred at her, as it advanced, and Cat searched around for incoming help, only to find everyone fighting for their lives against the other demons. "I am the all-powerful Xebenkeck! You __will__ submit!"

"NO!" Cat screamed, scuttling back across the floor, trying to get away. She watched in horror as the face of the demon began morphing into faces that she knew. Some that were here in the room with her, and some that she had even started to forget.

"What is it that you desire my pet?" It crooned to her. "I will bring all your desires to life…"

"NO! NOOO!" Cat howled, wanting to simply crawl into a corner and hide. She couldn't stop herself from screaming, but she could still fight back!

Grabbing blade after blade from where she had them stashed on her person, she threw each with deadly precision, causing the demon to falter. When she was down to her last blade, she paused to gather her strength.

The demon, bleeding and gory, and wearing the face of her best friend from her old life, loomed over her, and she burst forward, tackling the creature as it fell back. She was no looming over it… and she screamed again and again as she struck over and over with her small throwing knife.

* * *

Hawke was panting, his arm hanging limp by his side from a wicked slice from demonic claws. He glanced around, seeing several of his crew out cold on the ground. He hoped desperately that they were alive. He looked over at Cat, her mouth open in a continuous scream, even though her voice had given out.

He saw the gory mess beneath her, and watched as it dispersed away, the small blade she had clinking over and over against the stone floor that she now lay on.

"Cat…" he uttered, knowing there was no way she heard him, he started making a slow and painful way to her. "Cat…" he murmured again, trying to raise his voice over the sound of her blade against the stone.

"Cat!" he heard Fenris call from where he had collapsed against a wall, and saw as he struggled to stand. "Stop! It's gone now!"

He finally was to her, and reached out his good hand, clasping onto her shoulder.

And he grimaced as she turned and buried her knife into his leg.

"Maker's balls Cat!" he groaned as he fell over. It seemed to snap her out of it, and she rushed over to him, asking in a hoarse voice if he was all right, and apologizing so rapidly that he couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"Help me up," he muttered to her, and putting his arm around her shoulders, she slowly stood, helping him to do the same. He started moving, though it was very slow going, and Cat struggled just to keep him upright.

After an amount of time that he couldn't begin to guess at, they made it over to Fenris. Hawke used his good arm against the wall to keep himself up, telling Cat to sit. She looked at him in confusion.

"I said sit," he replied, starting to get annoyed. "Let Fenris help you," he continued. "I need to find Anders."

 _"_ _ _I can…"__ she started in her hoarse voice before he interrupted.

"No, you can't," he stated harshly, and she looked away as she sank down next to Fenris.

Fenris glanced at her in worry before turning to Hawke. "The mage is over there," he said quietly showing the direction with a nod of his head. "He… got in the way of a strike meant for me…"

Hawke nodded gratefully, and turned, continuing to utilize the wall as he made his way toward the prone body of the healer. His plan hinged on Anders now, if he could make it to him… he could hopefully heal him enough that he would in turn be able to stabilize the others. Then, Maker willing, and after some rest, they could make it to the clinic… he hoped.

Fenris and Cat watched Hawke limp away slowly, both of them feeling like a failure and useless to their friend. Fenris gathered Cat close with an arm over her shoulder, wincing as the movement stretched the gash on his back.

 _"_ _ _Are you all right?"__ Cat croaked.

"I will be," he responded quietly. He turned his gaze to meet hers. "Are you going to explain what that was?" he asked, nodding in the direction she has come from.

 _"_ _ _What what was?"__ she replied. _"_ _ _I killed the demon… I think,"__ she said as she glanced over at the floor.

Fenris arched his brow in disbelief. "You completely ignored every other enemy, didn't so much as acknowledge when your friends called out to you, lost every weapon except a tiny blade, which you kept stabbing into the floor long after the demon was dead, and then put said blade into Hawke."

Cat's eyes widened as she surveyed the room. _"_ _ _Issy…"__ she uttered gruffly, moving to escape from his hold, but he held on tightly.

"She isn't dead, just wounded," he said, and she relaxed slightly. "Hawke is working on Anders now, and hopefully he will able to help the others. For now, just rest. Get your strength back."

Even wounded as he was, Cat was no match for his strength and knew she couldn't get away, though she couldn't seem to muster the energy. So she gave in, and relaxed against him, letting her mind review what she could remember about the fight with the demon.

 _ _The faces… I remember that,__ she thought to herself. __But… how long was that?__

 _"_ _ _If I remember correctly,"__ she muttered, turning into Fenris so that he could hear her, _"_ _ _there should have been multiple abominations, rage demons and even a revenant? Along with Xebenkeck?"__ she asked as she looked up at him.

His brow rose again. "You knew the demon's name?" he asked.

 _"_ _ _It may have been mentioned,"__ she muttered with a shiver.

"Yes, there were all of those, as well as some shades and another revenant," he answered, and her eyes widened in shock.

 _"_ _ _How did I miss all of that?!"__ she said, though mostly to herself.

"I would like to know that as well," he muttered.

They sat there for hours, as Hawke slowly healed Anders. He had to wait for his mana to replenish healing bit by bit of his injuries and waiting for more mana in between. Once Anders awoke, they both rested for another hour, before Anders started working on Hawke's injuries.

Anders glanced over at Cat in question as he pulled the small blade from Hawke's leg and healed the puncture. He and Hawke then helped each other up and made their way to Fenris and Cat.

Cat just shook her head as Anders reached for her. "Help the others," Fenris said so that Cat could continue to rest her abused throat. "We have been awake the entire time, our injuries are not as severe."

Anders nodded, and helped Hawke to sit next to them, before making his way to the next of the fallen.

Cat looked over at Hawke, whose eyes were closed. She wanted to ask how he was, but it was fairly obvious he was in rough shape, even after the healing. She looked him over, wondering if his leg was healed. She had never stabbed a friend before today, and didn't like the feeling.

"I'm fine," Hawke said, though he didn't open his eyes.

The hours of not speaking had done wonders for her throat, but you couldn't tell by her voice. _"_ _ _Yes, you look perfectly fine,"__ she muttered sarcastically.

Hawke opened his eyes this time, and reached out for her. His hand covered her throat, and she could feel his magic before she realized what he was doing. She tried to push him away, but he was already moving his hand off of her.

"Why… would you waste your energy on that?!" she demanded softly.

"It was purely selfish, I assure you," he replied, closing his eyes once more. "Hearing you sound like a frog was annoying."

Fenris chuckled beside her, stopping mid laugh to cough harshly before finally settling back again.

"No jokes… please," he muttered.

"No more, you have my word," Hawke replied. "A story would be nice though… to pass the time?"

"A story?" Cat asked, surprised.

"Yes," Hawke answered. "I'll let you choose, though I would like to hear why the desire demons affect you so."

Cat glanced up at Fenris, who gave her a look and a nod. __They were her friends… right? s__ he thought.

"This… is my home."

Hawke opened his eye, peeking out at Cat, her words confusing him. She wasn't looking at either of the men at her sides, but staring out at the room, seeing something else than what was in front of her. He didn't speak, just waited for her to continue.

"However, is wasn't always so. That home is gone now… I'm sure you both can relate."

Hawke nodded slightly, knowing just what that displacement felt like… starting over again.

"To myself, I often think of that as my old life, and this… Ferelden and Kirkwall… as my new life, since I started a new life here." Cat sighed, not really wanting to continue, but knowing she owed them some sort of explanation.

"I don't quite understand it, but the desire demons have a way of reaching in and pulling out things that I didn't even know that I desired. People from my old life, that I had forgotten… regrets of things that I wished I could change…"

"That is the same for all of us," Fenris said softly. "That is what desire demons do."

"Each time though…"

They waited again, for Cat to find the words she wanted to use.

"I don't know if they are stronger… or if I just want to give in… but each time is harder to resist… … … even knowing that what I want… isn't real."

"Do you… want to talk about it?" Hawke asked.

Cat pondered that for a few moments. "I suppose it couldn't hurt," she replied. "At first, it was simple things. Showing me Fenris or Anders because they weren't there at the time, and I wished they were."

Fenris nodded, though he had startled when he had first heard his name. "And then?" he asked.

"Then… people from that old life. My parents, brother, and sister… friends that I had."

She paused again. "People that I've lost… my friends from Ferelden, or from the shipwreck… here with me… alive and happy."

"I'm sorry…" Hawke said quietly. "What about…?" he stopped, shaking his head.

"What?" she asked, looking over at him.

"Nothing… I don't want you to have to relive painful memories."

Cat frowned, uncertain of what he could be meaning. "I'm not sure what you mean," she said. "They were unsettling, yes, but not painful."

"It mentioned… your husband?" Hawke said, feeling guilty to have brought it up.

"Oh… right," she replied. "Part of that other life, and no longer painful," she said with a self depreciating smile. "He had left long before I came here."

"Wait, what?!" They both said as they tried to sit up.

"Don't aggravate your injuries!" she scolded them instantly.

"What. Do. You. Mean. He. Left?" Fenris ground out.

"How is that important?" she asked. "It's in the past."

"So you __were__ married?" Hawke asked, his curiosity burning.

Cat sighed. "Yes, I was. Emphasis on __was__. As in no longer."

"Oh, he died. I'm very sorry."

"Ugh," Cat groaned. "Obviously I need to explain this. Look… where I come from, just as a couple can decide to get married, they can also decide to get… unmarried."

She stopped as both of them turned to glare at her demanding a better explanation with their expressions.

"It's a very long story, which I __will not__ be telling. We were not happy, and decided to stop being married. There was a legal process, and I was no longer married. Long __before__ I even met either of you."

"But… the demon…" Hawke said confused.

"Like I said… regrets." She sighed again. "It doesn't matter now. In the end, I knew it wasn't real, no matter how much I may have wanted otherwise. Obviously this time… I was weak, and gave in."

"What?" Fenris asked, looking at her like she was crazy. "You killed it, you did no such thing."

"Evidently that is not true. In the end, certainly. But in order to have lost that much time… and not heard any of the fights around me… I must have been- - at least listening to its offer."

They went back to silence, understanding now what she was saying.

She looked down, feeling a hand on her arm, and looked up to its owner, seeing Fenris smile at her. She felt another on her other arm, and looked over to Hawke, who was also smiling kindly.

"Evidently…" he began, "you also got yourself out of whatever it held you in, and were angry enough to continuously stab it out of existence. Everyone else is alive, and if not well, will be soon enough." He gave her arm a squeeze. "Give yourself a break from the guilt," he said, and let her go, closing his eyes again, signaling the end of the discussion.

Cat looked back to Fenris who smirked at her. "Seems our illustrious leader has spoken," he said with a smirk. "Best not to argue with a mage, after all."

Cat finally felt herself able enough to relax, letting go of the feelings she had been nursing the entire time since the fight. "Sorry about the stabbing thing," she muttered, closing her own eyes to rest.

"That little thing?" Hawke replied. "Can't even call that a stab… more like a poke."

"I'll remember to use my bigger blades next time," she murmured.


	60. Chapter 60- Dissent

Whew! This was a tough one! There was a lot of little information I wanted to get out into this chapter, so hopefully it all flows well enough. As always, thank you thank you for your comments and kudos! I know I say it every time, but they are that special!

If you've been keeping track, you know there isn't much left in Act 2, and we're reaching the climax! No worries, I still have some tricks up my sleeves, so don't pop that popcorn just yet!

Enjoy!

* * *

"This is amazing…" Hawke said as he performed the spell again. He kept it small since he was still practicing it, but the insects that had been scurrying around were now moving as if they were slugs.

"You didn't know this spell before?" Fenris asked, uncertainly.

Cat, sitting next to him, could feel the unease he radiated, and gave his arm a pat. The three of them were crowded onto a cot, sitting rather than laying down as the rest of their comrades were doing. Anders was bustling from bed to bed, trying to make the injured members of their crew comfortable as they healed.

Once finished making his rounds Anders came over to sit on the ground in front of them, looking exhausted.

"I'm sorry about all this Anders," Hawke said, canceling the spell. Cat watched amused as the insects suddenly altered their courses and sped away, now that Anders was suddenly blocking their path.

"I'm just glad you weren't unconscious also," Anders said again. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't strong enough…"

"Oh stop it already," Cat groused. "We heard this back and forth, apologizing the entire way to the clinic."

Both men gave her a wry smile. "Sorry," they said in unison, and Cat struggled not to smile. She didn't win that particular battle.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Cat replied. "No one died, and everyone will recover, right?" she asked Anders.

"Yes," he answered, looking back around the room. "In fact everyone is healed, and just resting now. Except one…" he looked to Fenris.

"Stay back mage," Fenris grumbled, giving Anders a dark look.

"It doesn't have to be me," Anders replied with a glare. "Hawke can heal you. But if we don't take care of that slice down your back, it will get infected and you'll die," he said matter-of-factly. "Not that that would be a problem…" he mumbled.

"I'll be fine," Fenris said stubbornly.

"Hawke? Cat?" Anders said, ready to wash his hands of Fenris completely.

Cat turned to Fenris, giving him a questioning look. "Are you really fine?" she asked. "Honestly?"

"Uh…" he started, but was unable to agree. "I don't want magic to touch me ever again," he said softly, but earnestly.

"I'd have to see it before making any promises," Cat replied.

"Very well," he answered, turning sideways on the cot, and showing her his back. She lifted the sliced armor out of the way, and grimaced at the dirty cut.

"It doesn't look too bad," she said, "but it has to get cleaned if nothing else."

She leaned over the other way to whisper to Hawke. _"_ _ _Can we do this without magic?"__ she asked.

Hawke looked at the cut as well and nodded. _"_ _ _It would take much longer and be much more painful,"__ he whispered in warning.

 _"_ _ _I think he would still prefer that,"__ she whispered, and jumped when Fenris spoke up.

"I would," he said.

Hawke laughed at the blush blooming on her cheeks, and came up to whisper again in her ear. _"_ _ _Oh, and elves have really good hearing, in case you didn't know,"__ he said as he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "I'll need moral support if I'm going to do this," she said, looking to Anders and Hawke. They both stood, Anders going to retrieve clean water and towels, and Hawke directed Fenris to remove the top portion of his armor and lay face down on the cot.

"Thank you Cat," Fenris said as he took his place.

This time, it was Cat that looked uneasy, but Hawke and Anders stayed by her and helped her as she cleaned the gash on her friend's back. Fenris, for his part, stayed still even when she could hear his sharp intake of breath, and knew that it was hurting.

Cat couldn't help but think of the difference between this and the healings she and the others had received, realizing just how badly the misuse of magic had scarred Fenris. And yet, he had befriended Hawke, trusted him, and because of that, trusted Anders- to a lesser extent.

She hadn't realized that a tear had rolled down her cheek until Anders tried to take over for her, and she shook her head, wanting to see it through, and knowing Fenris wanted her- the non-mage- to do it. The tears weren't for what she was doing after all, just her own thoughts. Hawke took over once the wound was clean, helping wrap a bandage around Fenris' ribcage in an effort to keep the wound clean.

Fenris stood and acted as if he wasn't wounded at all as he put his armor back on, and Cat just smiled at his stubborn bravery. Knowing they all needed a subject change, she glanced around the room and asked, "Anders? Where's Olivia?"

She didn't expect the look of fear on Anders' face, and was also surprised when instead of answering, he started pacing around the room. It seemed to surprise Hawke as well, who stepped over to block his path.

"Anders?" Hawke asked. "What is it?"

Anders looked up at Hawke, and then over at Cat. "It's been too long, I'm worried. __Really__ worried."

"What do you mean?" Cat asked, stepping forward. Fenris followed behind her though he stayed silent.

"She's been gone for days," Anders replied. He too glanced around the room, and they waited. "It was another mission… another chance to help free some mages. This time however..."

Cat reached out to place her hand on his arm, getting his attention. "This time?" she asked. "What changed?"

"The templars are much more vigilant now," he replied. "We knew it was a risk, but she wanted to go." He walked over to his makeshift desk and shuffled through some papers, bringing back one sheet and handing it to Hawke.

"One in particular has all the mages worried," Anders said to them. "Ser Alrik."

"Tell me about him," Hawke said, his brow furrowing as he looked over the paper.

"He's a sadistic bastard," Anders spat out immediately. "He is the one that made Karl tranquil, and he won't stop there." He glanced left and right as if worried there were spies nearby listening in. Cat worried for her friend, knowing that this was a major step down his path of destruction, and she didn't know how she could stop it- or if she should.

"He has a plan you see… a plan that would make every mage in Kirkwall tranquil, within the next year. Olivia and I have heard about it extensively over the past few weeks, and decided that we needed to find the evidence to bring to the Grand Cleric."

" _ _Every__ mage?" Hawke asked in disbelief. "Are you certain about this?"

"Absolutely," Anders replied. "The last time I was in the Gallows, I looked for the evidence, but found nothing. One mage volunteered to stay behind in order to find what we needed, and Olivia went four days ago to bring him back out. I… I expected her back yesterday morning."

"What does that mean? Shouldn't we go find her?!" Cat jumped in.

"It doesn't necessarily mean anything," Anders replied, though his expression was troubled. "Some times you are forced to wait for the right time to move, especially now when the templars are so focused on catching escapees."

"It sounds as if you are trying to convince yourself, not us…" Hawke said.

"I had planned to go look for her once we had finished in Darktown," Anders replied angrily. He gave a huge sigh. "But now?"

Hawke put his hand on Anders' shoulder. "Now, you have help."

* * *

Anders led them down a flight of stairs, and Cat covered her mouth and nose with her arm. The stench down here was positively awful, but she knew it was just another deterrent for those that were keeping this a secret.

Opening a door that had been camouflaged to blend into the wall, Anders paused and looked over at Cat and Fenris.

"You must never tell anyone of this entrance to the Gallows," he said. "Many innocents would die if the templars were to find out."

Cat nodded, but that didn't appease him. "I need you to swear it Cat."

"I swear, I will never tell another soul," she said to him, and he seemed to relax. In fact, he didn't even ask that Fenris give the same, and she wondered why she had been the one to give him worry.

"You have templar friends," Fenris said, answering her unasked question in his uncanny way.

"I have __one__ templar friend, and I'm trying to get him to see mages in a better light, not trying to turn mages over to him," she replied, pouting slightly.

"He knows that," Fenris answered, and Anders shushed them from his place ahead of them.

"We must be silent from here on," he said in whisper. "We do not know who may be in these tunnels with us. The templars are known to patrol down here," he said.

Fenris and Cat nodded, and they continued to follow Anders through the winding passageways underneath the city and to the Gallows. They moved quickly but quietly, occasionally hearing others, and hiding to keep undetected.

Eventually, they heard voices, though they were too quiet to understand. Hawke instinctively took the lead, with the others close behind as they snuck forward to investigate.

Cat couldn't see anything, with the two broad-shouldered mages in front of her, and since the people in the room ahead were not speaking loudly, she couldn't hear anything either. Placing her hand on a shoulder in front of her, she stood on her toes of her feet to see over them.

There wasn't much to see, just the backs of armored templars, though that was a daunting view. There were at least six of them, and knowing that they could cut off a mage's mana, that would leave all six of them to Cat and Fenris.

Resting back on the soles of her feet, she glanced back at Fenris, to see the steely determination in his face. She worked on having that same focus now.

Oddly, she could begin to hear the conversation in the next room, almost as if the speaker was talking loudly on purpose so that the entire room could hear his voice.

"So, the good little mage girl decides to finally show her true nature," the man spoke. "You know what happens to mages who lie?"

Cat focused hard to hear a response, but only caught Anders whispering to himself. _"_ _ _No, we cannot. This is their place."__

She looked sharply over to him, noticing the small cracks of blue light on his skin, and worried even more.

"I know you," the man's voice said in delight. "Oh, and here we thought you had done your father the service of killing yourself. How happy he will be when he can hold you in his arms again. Unfortunately, you will not recognize him."

"I am dead," came the response. "I am no longer that girl."

Cat nearly called out, recognizing Olivia's voice, but Fenris held her shoulder to keep her steady.

"Get up!" the man ordered snidely.

"I will not take orders from the likes of you!" Olivia growled back.

"Oh, but you will," the man Cat knew was Ser Alrik crowed. "Once you're tranquil… you'll do __anything__ I want!"

"Naughty, naughty," Hawke spoke up, stepping forward with a smirk.

"Who's this?" Ser Alrik asked his men.

The light burst brightly in front of her, and Cat could hear the other-worldly voice of Justice mixed with Anders call out. He stalked forward as a predator seeing its prey frozen in fear before it. "YOU WILL NEVER TAKE ANOTHER FROM ME AS YOU TOOK HIM!"

Cat gulped, as Vengeance started casting spell after spell. She could hear the shouting of the templars, and felt Fenris push past her, which spurred her into action. She was not at her best, and knew that both Fenris and Hawke were the same.

Anders must have been exhausted, but he didn't look it as the spirit took over his body. The spells he cast were devastating, and Cat had to remind herself over and over to focus on the fight or she would get herself killed.

There were no templar survivors but Anders/Justice continued to glare around the room looking for more to take his vengeance upon.

"A…Anders?" Olivia said in fear, her eyes widened even further as the blue swirling depths that were where Anders' warm eyes had been peered at her. She shrank back, uncertain of how to proceed.

"WHY DO YOU COWER?" the spirit inhabiting the mage questioned. "ARE YOU ONE OF THEM, THAT WOULD LOOK UPON ME IN FEAR?"

"You're not my friend, what did you do to him?!" Olivia yelled suddenly, holding out her hands in a way that a mage would when about to cast a spell at another.

"Wait!" Cat called, and Hawke began moving forward as well.

"YOU WOULD DARE?!" Anders/Justice hollered. "YOU HAVE BECOME THEIR SERVANT!"

"Anders, it's Olivia!" Hawke bellowed, trying to get through to him. "She fights along side you! She's your friend!"

"I FEEL THEIR HOLD UPON HER," the mage/spirit spat out disgusted. "SHE SHOULD BE DESTROYED, EVEN AS THEY!"

"So that is your answer?!" Hawke demanded. "ALL mages deserve freedom, do they not? Even if they do not agree with your views? Are they not who you are fighting for?"

Cat wanted to run forward to Olivia, but Fenris held her back. Anders/Justice was casting something, and Olivia stood there, closing her eyes, waiting for the end. Hawke crossed his arms, and glared at Anders, feeling he had said his piece.

"NO!" Cat yelled, even as the blue light flickered on Anders' face. As swiftly as it had started, the light was gone, and it was just Anders standing before them again. He staggered backward, looking aghast.

"Maker no…" he uttered, looking around at his friends, and down at his hands. Cat thought he looked like he would be ill. He finally looked up again, and turned, and ran away.

Olivia looked relieved, but no less ill. "What… was that?" she asked as Cat came to her.

"I think you know," Cat said gently, putting an arm around her.

"I ….I …." Olivia stammered, and began shaking. "I'm sorry," she said in defeat. "I've never seen him like that before, and…"

"Not many have," Hawke said softly. "He's upset with himself, not with you."

"After all we've been through…" Olivia said as tears came to her eyes. "And I turned on him…"

"I'm sure he's telling himself the same thing," Cat replied.

"We should find him," Olivia said resolutely. "I need to apologize."

"Fenris?" Hawke asked.

"Ready," Fenris answered, having found a small ledge and had thrown the bodies over it.

"Then let's get going," Hawke said, and he led the way out.

* * *

Cat listened in awe as Olivia shared what had happened. She and a few young mages had been sneaking out when they discovered the templars on their tail. She had sent the mages another way, and had been leading the templars in circles, casting spells when necessary to keep the trail fresh.

She had been unaware however, of how well the templars had known the paths of the cave network, and had found herself being slowly cut off and surrounded throughout the day. She had been certain that she was about to become tranquil, and had wished for death.

"And that's when I looked up, and saw Anders," she said quietly. "I thought I was dreaming, but knew something was wrong when I looked closer."

"We'll get it all worked out," Cat responded soothingly. "Anders is a good friend, he'll understand."

"I guess…" Olivia said, though obviously not convinced.

"It seems pretty obvious that you and Anders haven't talked about Justice before," Hawke said. "That seems odd since you are so close."

"He tried once, but I wasn't really interested," Olivia said sheepishly. "It was against everything I had ever been taught…" she sighed. "Oh, this is all my fault."

"No it isn't," Cat said with a smile. "It's just a misunderstanding, and we'll get it cleared up in no time."

Cat knew Anders would be packing to leave when they found him, but even she was surprised at the state of the clinic. Several of the crew were awake and trying to get answers from Anders, who was ignoring them.

He had gathered several items in a pack, but the room looked like he had been trying to wreck it. Everything was overturned, items were covering the table and desk, and even the floor. Anders himself looked haggard and worn, with a crazed look in his eye.

"Anders," Hawke called as the group stepped into the clinic. Anders stopped what he was doing and stood, looking similar to Olivia when she had accepted her death earlier that evening.

"Hawke, I know I messed up," Anders said, standing still with his eyes shut. "I almost killed my best friend. There's no excuse for that." He dropped his bag, yet still didn't open his eyes. "I… wanted to simply leave…. but if you've come to kill me… I understand."

There were stunned looks, and a few gasps from the others in the room. A few of them even looked to Cat, but she was watching Olivia, who was trying to hold back her tears. She gave Olivia a small nudge, and the girl didn't hesitate any longer as she went to Anders.

He stiffened as he heard the footsteps near him, but opened his eyes in shock when he felt the hand on his cheek. Seeing Olivia, he shrunk back, ashamed.

"I'm so sorry Anders," she said, hanging her own head. "All this time, I refused to understand what it was you were going through, what… you are. I'm sorry that I didn't see you through that… uh, spirit form?"

Cat and Hawke smiled, but Anders just shook his head. "How can you apologize to me?" he asked. "If it hadn't been for Hawke, I would have killed you!"

"No," she replied. "Justice would have. He didn't seem to recognize me either, and that's my fault. I never got to know him."

"This isn't a joke!" Anders said dramatically, and Cat felt like rolling her eyes. But she refrained as she remembered how scary it must have been for him, watching himself do things that were beyond his control.

"No, it isn't," Hawke said, stepping into the conversation. "It's true, this is on both of you."

They looked at Hawke, then each other, then hung their heads as they would if they were getting scolded by their father.

"Olivia, as a friend and partner in the clinic, Anders relies on you to have his back," Hawke said to the younger mage. "That means you need to understand his situation, not ignore it."

"Yes Hawke," Olivia replied softly.

"And Anders," Hawke continued, turning to the healer. "You chose to merge with Justice… only you can make this work."

"I am trying," Anders said sadly.

"I know," Hawke replied. "Keep trying, I know it's difficult, but you __can__ do this."

Cat couldn't stop the grin on her face. Hawke was a natural leader, someone that the others gravitated towards. He wasn't all fun and games, and knew when to reprimand, but there was no doubt in any one's mind that he believed in his crew, and he just proved it again.

"Uh, anyone want to catch us up?" Varric said from his bed, where he was sitting up.

"Evil templar, Justice got a little carried away," Cat said before anyone else could speak up.

Anders and Olivia looked at her, gobsmacked, and Hawke just chuckled.

"It was a bit more complicated, but that covered the finer points," he said.

"An evil templar?" Merrill asked with wide eyes.

"You went and fought with templars?" Sebastian asked.

"Evil ones, apparently," Isabela told him with a smirk.

"And… Ser Alrik?" Anders asked. "Did we find the evidence we needed?"

Olivia looked discouraged. "I couldn't find anything concrete," she said. "Just rumor."

"Does it matter?" Hawke asked. "He's dead now."

"We were hoping to take the evidence to the Grand Cleric… get her aid in having the templars take it easier on the mages," Olivia answered.

"This may help," Fenris said, pulling out a paper, and handing it over to Hawke. "Found it on the body."

Hawke read the letter quickly. "Seems you were right," he said to Anders. "Ser Alrik suggested a 'tranquil solution' to Meredith. He then wrote to the Divine herself, saying that tranquil mages would be better servants to the Maker." He looked up to see the angry and confused faces around him.

"He suggested that all mages be made tranquil once they reach the point of their harrowing," Hawke explained. "Whether they pass the test or not, he says that there would be less of a problem if the mages were simply made tranquil."

"That's barbaric!" Aveline exclaimed, and the mages in the room smiled. Aveline wasn't always on the side of mages, but they knew she cared about their rights as citizens.

"However…" Hawke said, and other conversation stopped. "This letter is written by Ser Alrik, begging the Divine to reconsider. It seems not only the Divine, but Meredith too rejected his idea."

"What?" Anders said, shocked. "Let me see that!" He grabbed the paper from Hawke, and he and Olivia looked it over eagerly. "I… I can't believe it!" he exclaimed once he was done.

"They actually… rejected it…" Olivia mumbled.

"Perhaps the Grand Cleric would be as reasonable…" Anders said.

"The Grand Cleric is a wonderful and just woman, who cares for __all__ the Maker's children," Sebastian said proudly.

"It's something to think about," Hawke suggested with a smile.

"Thank you Hawke…" Anders said, his whole persona filled with hope instead of despair, and Cat smiled to see it. "Now… everyone back in bed!" he called out, and the others' groaned, even as they obeyed. Olivia and Anders began making the rounds, while Cat and Fenris got comfortable on their cot.

"Hawke?" Cat asked. "Aren't you joining us?" She patted the spot next to her where he had been sitting before.

"I'm going to check on Mother," he said with a smile. "But thanks."

"No problem," she said with a yawn, and leaned her head on Fenris' arm. The arm moved as he put it around her, bringing one of the clinic's blankets up to tuck around her. She smiled at the gesture, knowing both of them would be uncomfortable but both preferred it to the floor.

Hawke looked back at the empty spot by her side, looking wistful for a moment, before Olivia walked over and claimed it for herself. He shook his head, remembering his responsibilities, and headed out the door.

* * *

Cat awoke feeling overheated, and wondered why as she opened her eyes. At first she wondered where she was, and blinked in surprise when she couldn't sit up. As her eyes adjusted, she found herself in bed with Olivia, and while she couldn't remember how she got there from the cot, she assumed Fenris moved her. He was always more concerned with others' comfort before his own.

Cat started to try to extract herself from Olivia's hold, but finally decided to just wake her up. Olivia's eyes popped open once she moved around some, and she grinned at her friend.

"After last time, I didn't think I'd get in bed with you again," Cat teased.

"Well, I can't help it if I have sexy dreams when you're here," Olivia quipped back.

"Is that what that was?" Cat asked with a grin. "Do tell! Was it Mr. You'll-never-tell?"

"Is there anyone else to dream about?" Olivia asked.

"Well… there are plenty of attractive men, and women, as Issy would say," Cat answered.

"Not for me," Olivia responded.

"And you won't tell me anything?" Cat pouted.

"Actually," Olivia started quietly. "I've been asking him if I could, but he's adamant."

"Wait…" Cat stopped, looking at her friend as she blushed. "I thought you were just interested in the guy, I didn't know you were actually involved!"

"SSHHH!" Olivia hissed at her, and Cat was immediately contrite.

 _"_ _ _Sorry,"__ she whispered.

"It's nothing," Olivia backtracked. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Olivia…" Cat pouted.

"I've already said too much," she replied, and getting up, walked out into the clinic, Cat following behind her.

* * *

The next few weeks had Cat busier than she had ever been. Hawke and Fenris were still assisting Isabela with her relic search, and dealing with the Qunari. Anders and Olivia were so busy with the mage underground that she often had to enlist Merrill's help to gather herbs and make the concoctions herself that she needed to deliver to the Rose each week.

Sebastian was constantly requesting that she practice with him, and after being _accidentally_ dragged into several conversations with Chantry mothers about either mages or Qunari, she finally insisted that if he truly wanted to practice, they could go hunting, but that was all.

Now, she was visiting Cullen, and had spent the last half hour listening to him rant about the wicked mages that were plaguing the streets of Kirkwall.

"I'm just saying, if you had a bodyguard…"

"What?" she asked in shock. "Cullen, I can take care of myself."

"Against a mage?" he shot back. "How in the Maker's name will you be able to shield yourself if one of them decides to hurt you?" He stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders, not seeing the wince as his gauntlets dug into her skin. "It is common knowledge that we are friends," he said seriously. "They would hurt you in order to wound me!"

"Cullen," Cat sighed. His paranoia was getting worse. "I have lived here for years now, no one is out to get me. Besides, I'm part of Hawke's crew. If anyone wanted to harm me, they'd be declaring war on Hawke! No one would dare."

He grunted in disgust as he turned away. "These mages do not care who is in their way!" he said, his voice raising. "They would do anything, and harm anyone to achieve their goals!"

Cat looked at him in concern, noting his pale and sweaty face. "Are you… all right?" Cat asked.

"It is past time for my lyrium," he muttered. "But I cannot leave until you agree to this!"

"I'm not going to agree to this," she replied firmly. "Our crew has fought mages and demons before. We'll be fine."

"You take these mages too lightly," he scowled at her. "You do not understand the blackness of their hearts. They are not the people they seem, they are monsters!"

"Cullen!" Cat said in reprimand, thinking of her mage friends, and how wrong he was.

"Don't 'Cullen' me!" he said, stalking away from her. "You have not seen, not what I have seen! You could not possibly understand!" He swung back around, nearly crashing into her, as she had been following after him. "Obviously, you care more for these mages… these…. __creatures__ … than you do those that care about you."

"What?" she gaped at him. He was showing her a side of himself she had never seen before; a side that she wouldn't have believed existed before.

"Go then!" he said loudly, as they neared the gate to the Gallows. Several others turned to stare. "Go back to the mages you care for so deeply! I will not stop you! But I will not protect you any longer either!"

She just stood there in shock, as he stalked away from her. There was movement to her left, and she could see the templar guards coming near with uncertain looks on their faces.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I wouldn't accept his help in guarding me in town, and he started talking about being in league with mages…" she shook her head, showing her disbelief.

One of the guards still looked at her warily, but the other stopped in her tracks. "I'm sorry Miss Lewis," she said quietly. "It's been a rough few weeks, what with the mages escaping and we've had several templars go missing… the Knight Captain is taking too much on himself."

"Shut it," the other guard glared. "That's templar business," he muttered.

"And she's the Knight Captain's business," the female guard shot back. She turned back to Cat. "He won't be coming back, you should probably go," she said, though not unkindly.

"Thank you," Cat replied. "Can you tell him I'm sorry we argued?" Cat asked. "Ser…" she left it hanging, so that the woman would supply her name.

"Still a recruit I'm afraid," the woman said as she gave Cat a wink. She was hardly more than a teenager. "Just call me Lysette. I'll be sure to let him know."

"Thank you Lysette," Cat replied, trying to place why the name sounded so familiar. She gave a look back as she headed away from the Gallows.

* * *

The next day, Cat was still brooding over her argument with Cullen. It was his attitude more than his words that worried her, and the fact that such a drastic change came when he missed his lyrium did not bode well.

The nudge brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked over to see Fenris giving her a look.

"Sorry, thinking about Cullen."

"Still?" he asked though not surprised. "You cannot fix things by brooding about them," he said, and laughter rang out.

"You're the last one to talk, __Broody,"__ Varric said as he chuckled.

"Yes, but I enjoy it," Fenris said with a smirk. "Cat is not made for brooding."

"He does have a point Little dove," Varric commented. "You could always share your troubles… that will help."

"Thanks Varric, but I'm not ready to share just yet," she answered with a smile. Of course, she had already spoken of what had happened in general terms to Fenris, and he had been ready to fight Cullen. She could just imagine what her overprotective friends would say, __or do__ , if she were to share what had happened.

"Sorry I'm late," Hawke called out as he entered the clearing where they practiced together. "Ever since Mother decided to help Aveline with the wedding, I've been dragged into far too many conversations, and asked my opinion more than I can count!"

"Oh it can't be that bad," Cat smirked.

"It's worse," he deadpanned.

"Oh, poor Hawke," Isabela cooed to him. "The least you can do is make sure this party will be fun. Though with Aveline, I'm sure that's a lost cause."

"Be nice," Cat said in reflex.

"I'm just being honest Kitty," she replied, and Cat rolled her eyes.

"So what are we working on today?" Merrill asked, changing the subject. "We're missing a few of us though," she said.

"Yes, Aveline won't be coming either," Hawke said as he looked around, noting the absence of both Anders and Sebastian which was no longer a surprise as both had been absent for the past three sessions.

"Sebastian still in the Chantry?" he asked.

"The templars are no closer to finding their missing members, or the mages," Varric said. "He feels he must guard the Grand Cleric, even though she sends him away."

Hawke shook his head. "He knows full well what happened to them," he muttered. "Why the sudden panic?" He shook his head again. "And Anders?" he asked.

"Working on his manifesto, I think…" Cat replied. "He believes he shouldn't be out in public until he gets a handle on the 'Justice thing,' she quoted. "I think he'll see reason, but someone else will have to point it out, because apparently I didn't do it right."

Isabela make a comment about finding Cat a tutor to teach her how to "do it right," which led to several eye rolls and chuckles, and Merrill asking what she had missed.

"Well, let's get started then. I want to show you all the new spells I've learned from that book in Darktown."

Fenris and Cat were the only two that didn't look uneasy at the idea, having seen the spell in action before.

"I think you should demonstrate," Cat spoke up. "I'll be the enemy for this," she said.

"What?" Isabela asked, as Hawke appraised her.

"Why?" he asked.

"Two reasons," she answered as she stood and got her daggers out. "One, while it was interesting to see on insects, I think the impact will be stronger on a person. And two…" She looked around as she continued. "We may not be part of the problems that are growing here in Kirkwall, but we'll inevitably find ourselves in the middle of them. We need to prepare counter attacks to the attacks that could come our way. We can't do that until we experience them."

The others picked up on her seriousness, and Hawke studied her face a moment more before he nodded. Cat jogged about fifty feet away before turning back. "I'm coming at you full speed," she warned Hawke.

Hawke stepped forward from the group, pulling out his staff and readying himself.

Cat wasn't sure what exactly would happen, but wanted to understand it completely. "Come at me once you cast it," she hollered to Hawke, who paused, and then nodded again.

Taking a few deep breaths, Cat adjusted the grip on her daggers, and burst forward, running full speed at Hawke. She didn't feel anything hit her, and wondered if he was holding back. The thought pissed her off, and she let the anger fuel her speed.

She could see she was coming closer to Hawke, and almost fell over in shock as she saw a blur next to her, and she was stopped short with Hawke behind her, his arm wrapped around her arms.

She panted, trying to get her racing heart to slow, and she realized the spell had struck, and she hadn't even noticed. She grinned as she turned to head to look over her shoulder at Hawke. "That grip won't stop me from stabbing your leg," she teased. "And this time it would be more than a poke."

He chuckled, and she felt her heart speed up again as his breath hit her ear. His free hand moved forward to show he had taken one of her own daggers from its sheath. "You're already dead," he teased back.

"Get off," she said grumpily, shrugging him off of her. Sheathing her blades, she held her hand out for the one he had taken. He simply stepped forward and reached around to her back to slide it into place.

"Better luck next time," he said with a wink, and she punched his shoulder before heading back to the group.

"What exactly was I seeing just now?" Varric asked with a smile.

"Hawke's new spell," she answered, looking confused when he just shook his head. "Looks like you're a student of the Force school now," she told Hawke, trying not to giggle or call him a padawan. She stood facing the others even as she spoke to Hawke about the experience.

"It was strange, I didn't feel a difference. I couldn't have told you when you cast the spell… in fact, the only reason I knew you had was when I was caught. Up until that point when you moved, I thought I was going to run right into you."

"You were running full speed the whole time?" Merrill asked surprised.

"Yes, in fact when Hawke stopped me, it felt jarring, like running into a wall or something."

"Oh, sorry," Hawke said contritely.

"Not your fault," Cat replied. "And when you moved, all I saw was a blur, just a second before you caught me."

"He walked up to you, calm as could be, once the spell was done," Fenris spoke up.

"Really?" Cat asked. "Huh, this could definitely be useful during a fight, especially if we can somehow get the enemies into a group." Cat turned back to the open field. "Let's try another."

"What?" Hawke asked, eyes wide.

"You didn't only learn one spell did you?" Cat asked. "So show me another."

"The other spells are meant to wound, Cat," Hawke replied.

"I told you, I need to experience them if I'm going to come up with a defense," she said. "You don't have to pull punches with me, I can take it."

"Little dove, this sounds like a bad idea…" Varric cut in.

"Look, I appreciate your concern… all of you," she said as she looked around. "If one of you wants to take a turn after this, that's fine. But I can't continue to reply on what I already know. I need to get stronger. Those demons almost took us all out a few weeks back, and the only reason I wasn't in one of those beds with you all, was because I was in the hold of a desire demon."

She looked around, and they could all see the determination on her face, even if they didn't like it. "We're making good progress with our combined attacks, but you all know we need to keep improving. This is the next step."

"You want me to openly attack you, but I won't," Hawke said defiantly.

"Some friend you are," Cat shot back. "It's just like in a spar. You don't have to use all your power, but I need to know what I'm up against."

"I'm a great friend," Hawke argued. "Just look as I __don't attack__ my __friend.__ "

"Hawke…" Fenris spoke up. "She's right." He looked over to Cat, then over to Merrill. "Will you show me that Petrify spell of yours?" he asked.

"Is everyone insane?" Varric asked.

Hawke walked past Cat, back to the field. "Let's go," he said. "One time only."

Cat nodded, breathing deeply as she walked, steeling herself. It was a victory yes, but she knew what some of these spells did in the game. She was always thrilled when her Hawke character took out large groups of enemies with a single spell. And she had seen this Hawke in action on many occasions. __This is going to hurt…__ she thought.

* * *

Hawke debated with himself. Part of him wanted to give her the Fist of the Maker spell, so she could learn her lesson. But, another quieter part of him knew he couldn't. He settled on a telekinetic burst, knowing it would simply fling her away instead of pound her into the ground.

He watched as she readied herself, not bothering to pull out her daggers this time. He brought his staff out, and brought his mana forth, ready to cast. Cat started running at him again, and he shot the spell directly in front of her. The small burst knocked her off her feet, and she rolled over, and back on her feet.

He could see her expression darken, and she came running at him again, looking more angry than he'd seen in quite awhile. He knew instinctively that he shouldn't have done such a small spell, it was exactly what she didn't want.

He moved without thinking, powering the spell again with more mana this time. He faltered as he realized she was almost on top of him, and he flung the spell out in front of her again.

Too late, he realized how much faster she was moving than before, and the burst set off behind her, and shot her into the air straight at him, knocking them both over, and rolling on the ground.

Finally coming to a stop, he groaned as he sat up, looking around for Cat. She was several feet past him, having had the momentum. He went over to her, even as the others made their way across the field to where they were.

"Cat?" he asked, hobbling over and wheezing like an old man.

"Go away."

"Cat, you okay?" he asked, standing over her. She glared up at him.

"Why do you have to be an idiot?" she groused.

"Yeah, realized that after the first one…" he said with a wince, rubbing his gut where she had slammed into him.

"Not too bright putting it behind me," she wheezed out as the others made it to them.

"What happened?" Isabela asked, seeing Cat looking like she wanted to stay down for awhile longer.

"I uh…" Hawke stammered.

"Genius here decided to use such a small amount of mana that the spell was basically non-existant," Cat said loudly.

"Which of course, only pissed you off," Isabela surmised.

"Naturally," Cat replied. "So he tried to do it again, and this time put it behind me, so I'd go flying right into him."

"That is… not exactly accurate…" Hawke said, and everyone looked at him in question. He rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Cat got back up after the first one, looking like she was going to murder me. I knew I'd better do it again."

"Good thought," Cat interrupted. "Because I would have murdered you."

"Any way… so I did it again…but," he paused, uncertain if he actually wanted to admit it after all.

"But?" Isabela asked.

"She was moving faster than I expected…"

The laughter from Varric stopped Hawke this time, and he looked up at the sky… the trees… anywhere but his crew.

He looked back at Cat as he heard her stand up. She walked right up to him, and poked her finger at his chest. "Are you telling me that you meant to put it in front of me, but you missed your mark?" she demanded.

"Uh… something… like that… yes."

Her face didn't change, but he could see the amusement sparkling in her stormy eyes. It amazed him how gray they could look when she was angry, and how the blue in them would peek out when she was happy… just like the sky after a storm.

Her lips twitched, even as the Varric and Isabela laughed, and swapped insults of Hawke's aim, but she just watched him. Finally she smiled slowly.

"I hope you learned your lesson," she said finally, and he smiled too as he nodded.

"Never piss off Catarina?" he asked in jest.

"Always a smart move," she replied, and she let Fenris help her to the side of the field to rest while he worked with Merrill.


	61. Chapter 61- Fights and Fluff

__9:34 Wintermarch__

 _ _Dear Cat-__

 _ _I was surprised to receive your second letter, before I could even reply to your first! I must admit, I didn't much care for the first one, though the cheese you sent was very good! You'll be pleased to hear that my spar with Nathaniel ended in victory. You'll find I am not the "old man" you may think me to be!__

 _ _We thank you for the invitation to your friend's wedding, unfortunately we will not be able to attend. Carver is upset about it as well, but I'm afraid you know all too well the duty that the Grey Wardens are given.__

 _ _In fact, I must admit my curiosity that you continue to stay in Kirkwall. Even here in Ferelden we hear of the growing threat that are the Qunari. All of us feel concern for the mage/templar issues that are amounting as well. If you are not careful, you could find yourself in an all out war from multiple sides.__

 _ _I have spoken to Duran about assisting you in this, however he assures me that the best way we can help is by focusing on our duty. I cannot say much on the subject, as you are keenly aware, but I will note that we are looking for solutions on a much grander scale than before. There are none more dedicated to seeing the blight eradicated once and for all.__

 _ _I believe you may have… thoughts… on that subject, and if so, I ask that you consider sharing them with us? The more we uncover, the more certain I am that information is being kept purposefully from us. Duran has agreed, and has begun preparing for a trip to Weisshaupt to try to discover these things. He has stated that if he cannot find the answers there, he will travel the world until he can.__

 _ _I do not relish that thought, you know I do not enjoy being in charge, but I cannot fault him for wanting to act. I am struggling with that myself, not wanting to disappoint him, but needing to be doing more than paperwork.__

 _ _Perhaps one day we will see each other again, and be able to speak of all that has happened. For now, know that our thoughts are with you, and you are always welcome here. Please take care of yourself! I really want to see how our future spar will go… and Nathaniel has already stated he believes you will win. Did I mention what an ass he is? No? Believe me, it is the truth.__

 _ _\- Al__

 _ _P.S. You know my name, so stop using the title! You do this on purpose don't you?!__

* * *

Cat chuckled softly as she read and re-read the letter. She had known the Wardens wouldn't come for the wedding, but wanted to invite them anyway, just in case. It would have been such a nice surprise for Leandra to see Carver after all.

Cat was still surprised, but happy at how well Leandra was doing. She had practically taken on the role of mother to Aveline, assisting in her wedding plans, hiring the necessary people to decorate, and make and serve the food. She had even taken Aveline to a dress maker for the big day.

It was hard to believe that in less than a month, her friend would be a married woman again. She had been alone for so long now, even among the crew, and Cat was thrilled at how happy she was now.

She brought herself out of her thoughts, and glanced to her companion. "I'd say I was sorry for not talking to you, but I assume you enjoyed it," she teased. Hawke had sent a message to meet at his estate, and they were walking over together.

Fenris glanced back with a small smirk. "Indeed. It was a nice reprieve from your usual morning chatter."

She rolled her eyes at him. "If I was like this every morning, you'd miss it," she said.

"Let's test that theory sometime," he stated.

"You think you're so witty, don't you?" she asked, even as they walked up to Hawke's door.

He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Yes," he said, lifting his fist to rap on the door.

She grinned at him, and they waited as Bodahn answered the door, and led them inside. Cat didn't make it far before she was pounced on by Hafter, and she crouched down immediately to give him a rubdown.

Fenris stood near the fireplace to keep warm. Though the days were already growing warmer, the mornings still had a lingering chill. Both Cat and Fenris were more than happy that winter was almost over.

"Thank you for coming," Hawke said as he and Leandra came down the stairs. "Mother insisted on choosing clothes for the wedding, though I am uncertain why __I__ need to dress up. I'm not getting married," he said with a smile.

"You know very well why, Garrett Hawke," Leandra said with a gentle swat to his shoulder. Looking at the Cat and Fenris she asked, "Do the two of you have appropriate attire, or do we need to help find you some?"

"Uh," Cat and Fenris said, uncertain of what that meant.

"I'm sure I have a tunic that Fenris can wear," Hawke said, trying to hide his grin.

"Excellent! And Cat?" she asked, turning to face her. "Do you have a dress?"

"A dress?" Cat croaked, then cleared her throat. "Uh, no… but I have some very nice clothes I was saving for the occasion…"

"No that simply won't do," Leandra barreled on. "Come up and look in my closet, I'm sure I have something that we can make work."

"I'll send her up in a minute Mother," Hawke said, highly amused at Cat's expression. "I need to speak with them first."

"Very well, I'll get started." She turned around to head back up the stairs. "I expect you to join me soon," she called back.

"Yes Ma'am," Cat replied, dismayed at the turn of events. It wasn't as if she hated dresses, but she was really hoping to be comfortable at the wedding.

"Sorry about that," Hawke said, not sounding sorry at all. "Though I must admit I'm glad it isn't only me."

"Yeah, great…" Cat muttered. "So why are we here?" she grumbled.

"I was hoping you could take care of something for me today, since you're going to the Gallows." Hawke walked over to his writing desk, and took a piece of paper, handing it to Cat. "There's a templar, I'm sure you remember him… Emeric?"

"Uh, yes, I believe so," Cat replied, reading the note. "Wasn't he investigating the missing women a year or so ago?"

"Yes," Hawke nodded. "Seems he now has some vital information that he will only share with me." Hawke ran his hand through his hair as he sighed. "I'll be honest here, I think we got lucky with that necromancer, and Emeric had nothing to do with it. His evidence was nothing but a hunch, and I don't have the time, nor inclination to get more of the same from him."

Cat's eyebrows went up, showing her surprise. "But?" she asked.

"But he won't stop bothering me about it," Hawke answered. "I've got some business with Hubert about the bone pit I have to deal with, the Viscount wants yet another meeting about the Arishok, and Anders has been worrying me lately with how depressed he's been."

Cat smiled sadly at that last part, happy that she wasn't the only one trying to cheer Anders up. He was trying to do too many tasks and while accomplishing much good, he would berate himself for not meeting his own impossible standards.

"How can we help?" she asked.

"I'm hoping that Emeric will tell you what he wants me to know, knowing that you two are part of my crew. Barring that, the Knight Captain could vouch for you if needed. I really just want this to go away," he said.

"I think we could handle that," Cat replied, sticking the note into one of her pockets. "The permission to speak on your behalf note was a nice touch," she added, patting the pocket.

"Hopefully it won't be necessary, but I wouldn't bet on it," Hawke replied. "And also…"he trailed off.

"Also?" Fenris asked, surprised.

"I'm sorry, I just have a lot right now," Hawke said. "I've been meaning to talk to Sebastian about having the wedding in the chantry gardens? Mother just mentioned it again this morning, how lovely it will be with everything blooming… and I realized I never spoke to him about it."

"But, Sebastian isn't in charge of the Chantry," Cat protested.

"No, but he could help us get permission," Hawke responded. He looked at both of them, pleading. "Pleeeease?"

Cat looked unconvinced, and glanced at Fenris who wore the same expression. Then a thought came to her, and she smiled broadly. "Of course we'll help!" she said enthusiastically.

"You will?" Hawke asked in surprise.

"Yes, in fact, we'll go right now! Come on Fenris," she said, pulling him toward the door.

"Well, but…" Hawke started.

"Not a worry Hawke, we've got this covered!" Cat called back as they headed out the door. "You just handle that dress decision with your mother for me!"

"Wait-" Hawke said before Cat shut the door behind her.

Fenris looked at her satisfied expression, and started walking in the direction of the chantry. "You may think it clever, but what happens when he picks a hideous dress?" he asked her.

"Leandra doesn't own hideous dresses," Cat replied. "Having her choose one would have taken all afternoon," she said. "Hawke's impatience will cut that down considerably, or Leandra will just send him on his way, and do it herself. Either way, I win."

"Let us hope so," Fenris smirked at her.

* * *

Hawke rubbed the bridge of his nose, quickly losing all patience. "Mother, why is this so difficult? Just choose one!"

"Garrett, there are many things to think about here," she replied calmly. "It needs to be nice, but simpler than Aveline's so she doesn't upstage the bride. It needs to be a color that would work well with her coloring, and it needs to be-"

"Here!" he said, pulling out a random dress for her. "This one."

Leandra eyed the dress, ready to reject it, but decided her son had a good eye, even when he was at his wit's end. "That… could work," she said, unwilling to praise the decision when she knew it was luck that he grabbed it.

"Thank the Maker!" he said, turning and heading out of the room. Leandra smiled to herself. He was so oblivious at times, it made her laugh. The dress was a lovely deep green, and an exact match to the tunic he had thrust at her earlier that morning when he lost patience in deciding his own outfit. She smiled at the thought of their coordinating wardrobes, and decided it was a perfect lesson for them both.

* * *

"That wasn't so bad," Cat said as they left the Chantry. "At least the Grand Cleric is a nice enough woman."

"Agreed," Fenris said.

"Although, it almost seemed as if she were, I don't know…" she trailed off.

"No, speak your mind," he said.

"You know I have no problem with that," she teased back. "It's just that she tries so hard to be the neutral party in all the conflicts, that it just enrages others. I'm not saying she should pick a side," Cat barreled on before Fenris could comment. "But if the people around her don't understand what she is trying to accomplish, how will anyone else in the city?"

"It did seem as though the others in the Chantry were having arguments," he observed.

"Yes, over the Qunari, or the mages. There will always be zealots who will not listen to her words, or twist them to fit their own purposes. I can't really blame Elthina I suppose."

"Yet, you do," he answered. "Why?"

She glanced over at him, troubled that he could see her distaste. "Because the conflicts will only worsen," she answered. "And a woman in her position could do much to quell it, even without choosing a side."

He could see that at this point, she was arguing with herself, and stayed quiet.

"I don't know her, nor her motivations…" Cat's voice became softer, finishing the last sentence in her mind. So w _ _hy would someone who preached of doing good… do nothing at all?__

Cat shook her head, trying to rid herself of the feelings that had surfaced when she met the Grand Cleric. They were based on assumptions from a story, and couldn't be taken as truth now. But she couldn't deny that she hadn't liked the woman.

"At least the wedding will be lovely, being in such a beautiful garden," she finally said. Fenris merely glanced at her with a roll of his eyes, and she decided he had just earned himself a chatter-filled walk to the Gallows for that.

* * *

"It is almost a different experience, coming here without a mage," Fenris commented quietly.

"It definitely is," Cat agreed, leading the way into the Gallows.

He observed her interactions with the guards at the gate, the waves she received from most of the recruits and several of the templars themselves as they made their way into the courtyard. He followed behind her as she walked to the staircase in front of them, where the Knight Captain stood speaking to another templar.

Cat stopped several paces away, not wanting to intrude on their conversation. "We made good time," she said to Fenris. "The recruit's training session hasn't started yet, so we won't have to wait long."

She saw him shrug as he continued to look around the courtyard. "It's interesting, isn't it?" she asked.

He looked back to her with an eyebrow raised in question, and she smiled at the idea that they were having a conversation while he didn't utter a word.

"I mean, the different perspectives," she answered. "For as many mages that want to do good, __like Hawke__ ," she added under her breath, "there are just as many that want to subject others to their will. And the same can be said for the templars, though they usually don't see such similarities."

He contemplated her words as he watched the templars around him. It was easy to see that she was right, simply from the way the people held themselves, or the look in their eyes. He could see the desire for justice in some, the superiority in others, and even kindness in a few.

"Lady Cat," Cullen said as he approached them, and Cat smiled and turned to greet him. She had long ago convinced him to drop the title from her name, but he continued to do so in front of others.

"Knight Captain," she replied giving her hand to him, and he bowed over it, since he knew she'd give him a tongue lashing if he were to kiss it.

"To what do we owe this pleasure?" Cullen asked politely, and Cat smiled.

"This is my friend, Fenris," she said by way of introduction, and also to get Fenris by her side instead of behind her. "We were sent here to meet a Ser Emeric?" she asked.

Cullen gave Fenris a curt nod, and turned back to Cat. "Ser Emeric? May I ask what this pertains to?" he asked, and Cat's eyebrows went up.

"I'm not entirely certain myself," she answered, more careful of her words. "I believe, he and our boss are old friends, and have been keeping in communication. He sent us with a note for him?" she said as she patted her pocket.

"Very well," Cullen replied with a nod. "I will see you to him." He turned back to converse with the templar behind him, and then turned back and started walking. "This way."

Cat glanced at Fenris, and shrugged, following after the knight captain. "So… uh, how are you… Ser?" Cat asked, unsure of what was going on, but trying to follow Cullen's lead.

"I am well, thank you for asking."

Cat glanced over at Fenris again, concern showing in her face now, and she silently followed her friend as he led them to a secluded corner of the courtyard.

"Ser Emeric, you have guests," Cullen said, as he stopped before an older man.

The templar's face lit up, but fell again as he took in Cat and Fenris. __Obviously he was hoping for Hawke,__ Cat thought.

"Hello Ser," Cat said in greeting. "Our friend asked that we bring this to you," she said as she handed him the note from Hawke. "We'd like to speak with you, if that's all right."

Emeric glanced down at the note, then up at them, scrutinizing them from head to toe, looking uncertain.

"I'm afraid he is very busy," Cat said softly. "It will be much longer if you wait for him specifically, but I promise to tell him everything you tell us."

She didn't know if he remembered her from their brief meeting in Darktown so long ago, or if he simply decided that this was the best he could get, but he finally nodded.

"Thank you Knight Captain," he said to Cullen. "I will escort them out after we speak."

Cullen nodded, and strode away, and Cat looked at his retreating figure in confusion. __What is going on with him?__ she thought, before turning back to Emeric. "Serah Hawke asked us to come," she said to the templar. "He said you had information for him?"

"I am hoping he will take it more seriously than the guard," Emeric said bitterly. "I may be older, but I am not senile."

"Of course not," Cat said with a small smile.

Emeric gave her a look, but he continued. "A few years ago, there was several women who disappeared," he began, and Cat and Fenris nodded. "Serah Hawke was instrumental in helping us discover the whereabouts of these women at that time."

"We are aware," Fenris said, and Cat gave him a look, which he returned.

"We never caught the killer however," Emeric continued, and Cat started, looking at him in surprise.

"What?" she asked, looking from Emeric in shock, to Fenris in accusation.

"And I believe, he has returned."

Fenris and Cat stopped the silent conversation they had been having, and both turned to Emeric in surprise. "What?!" they demanded.

Emeric shushed them both, looking around him. "I have told my superiors, but they have done nothing without evidence. So I investigated myself, and found several disappearances that I believe are related. In my investigation, I discovered the culprit and took everything to the city guard."

"And?" Cat asked a frown of concern on her face. __They killed Quentin… right?! But… if they didn't?!__ her thoughts ran in circles.

"They found no evidence, and set him free."

"He's free?!" she squeaked.

"Yes," he answered, looking at her oddly. "And now I have been ordered to stop my investigation." He thrust out several pieces of paper to Fenris, who looked down at them, but didn't take them. "This is everything I have. Please… tell Serah Hawke to finish this, as he once started. This monster must be stopped."

Cat reached out and took the papers from the templar. She didn't know what to think, her mind racing with thoughts of Quentin the necromancer, the poor women he killed, Leandra, Ninette, Alessa. She surprised herself by remembering that last one.

"We'll tell him," Fenris remarked, looking concerned at Cat's behavior. He nodded to the templar and grabbed her arm, leading her away.

"Cat?" he asked softly, as he led her toward the gates. She shook her head, as she often did when trying to clear her thoughts.

"He's dead, right Fenris? You all killed him… didn't you?" she asked softly, as if in fear of his answer.

"Lady Cat?"

Cat stopped, looking up into Cullen's face as he stepped in their path before the gates.

"Cullen?" she asked, and his face darkened momentarily before it became stoic again.

"Let me escort you out," he said, waiting for them to continue, and falling in step ahead of them.

Cat had far too much to think about, and wanted, __no needed,__ answers. She waited as long as she could past the gates before opening her mouth to demand them.

At that moment, Cullen stopped, and spun around, causing Fenris and Cat to stop suddenly.

"There has been quite the commotion in the templar hold these past few weeks," he said speaking to Cat. "Mages escaping, losing templars to their own vices, or having them simply disappear with no explanation at all."

"Uh…"

Cullen broke her off with a hand, raising it to stop her even as he stepped forward. "Meredith trying so hard to keep order, and her kindness being exploited by those that are charged with a sacred duty," he continued, even as Cat's face went incredulous.

"Mages may think that they are oppressed," he stated firmly, "but it is the templars, and the citizens that suffer when they prove time and again that they cannot handle the curse that is upon them."

"Wha-?" Cat started, even as he interrupted her again.

"After dealing with this each and every day, you can imagine how distraught I was when I heard a rumor that your group was helping a mage to conceal himself in the city."

He looked at her with hooded eyes. "Is it true… Cat?"

"What…" she began, clearing her throat and starting over. "What are you talking about?" she said cautiously. She had no idea who he was speaking of exactly, and needed to say nothing until she found out.

His eyes narrowed. "That's it then," he said. He wasn't angry with her, so much as himself. __Meredith was right after all…__ he thought remembering their argument about Cat and her group and their influence on him. __She had said she wished she wasn't right, and I foolishly defended them. But I can't, not anymore.__

"Cullen," Cat said sadly. "It's not that simple."

"But it is," he said looking at her, and she shivered at the icy disinterest in his eyes. "I am a templar, and you are helping a mage. I can not protect you."

He stepped past them, walking back towards the gate. Stopping and turning back, he looked sadly at her. "I will not turn you in, because of what you have done for me," he said. "I implore you to break ties, before something bad happens. Good day, Lady Lewis."

Cat watched him, her sadness quickly being replaced with anger. Anger at him, at Meredith and all her stupid restrictions for mages, anger at the mage underground for making the templars tighten their hold, anger for the idiot mages that did whatever the hell they felt like- causing all these problems in the first place. And for some reason she couldn't understand, the anger focused on the mages in her own circle of friends that were somehow at fault that she had lost a sweet and dear man as a friend.

Her anger focused on something specific now, Cat spun on her heel and stormed off toward the dock, anxious to be back in the city. She had a few choice words for some mages that she knew, and she had the ferry ride back to choose which ones to use.

* * *

Fenris stayed quiet, knowing nothing would come of trying to talk Cat down now. Over the years he had known her, he had never seen her quite this upset. It was a little unnerving for him, seeing another side to her that he hadn't known existed.

Normally, her anger was an icy shell, something that she hid behind, freezing others out. She would become quiet or sullen depending on if she was angry or sad, but either way she couldn't stay that way for long before she confronted the problem.

Now however, she was like a fire outside a bottle of alcohol. Soon enough, the control would break, and an explosion would occur. With her shorter legs, she didn't have a chance to out pace him, but he still needed to walk quickly to keep up.

The truly disconcerting part, was that he had no idea where they were going. Once they were back in Kirkwall, she had headed directly to Hightown, and he assumed they were going back to Hawke's, or even home, but Cat kept turning down other streets, until he wasn't certain where they were, let alone what their destination was.

* * *

Cat mind was snarling, and if asked, she couldn't have said exactly where they were going, only that she would recognize it once she saw it. __All these Hightown mansions all look the same,__ she thought, glancing left and right as she strode down the street.

She had in fact, changed her mind several times on the walk to the city. Her first thought was to go to Lowtown and look in that stupid foundry herself, to make sure that the necromancer was dead. Then she changed to Darktown, wanting to talk to Anders and Fenris about this, spelling out everything she knew was to come, and getting them to realize how __idiotic__ all this drama was.

Then, knowing that was the worst idea, and the possibility that Olivia would be there too, she redirected herself to Hightown at the last moment, deciding some sparring at the keep would be the least damaging thing she could do with the anger that was boiling inside her veins.

Passing the Chantry had her fuming as all her thoughts circled again, and she started charging toward Hawke's home. Before they reached it however, she finally decided that she needed a fight. If she went to Hawke's, there would be a fight all right, but not what she was looking for. She wanted an all out fight, one that couldn't come from a spar.

That was how she began looking for the base of the Invisible Sisters. Isabela had shared a few days ago how they had tried to recruit her, and after declining not so politely, she had followed them back to their base. She had shared the intel with Hawke as well, but they hadn't had time yet to take them out.

Seeing a house that looked promising, she walked forward, and noticed the small sign carved into the door, she smiled a feral grin, pulling out her large daggers.

"Cat, what is going on?" Fenris finally asked.

"A fight," she answered, kicking in the door, and striding forward.

* * *

Orana had gone to the hanged man as Hawke asked, and given the news to the dwarf as instructed. She hadn't expected so many others with him, nor for them all to accompany her back to her new home. The group was quiet, and she quickly took her leave once they arrived, as they all made her nervous.

Hawke looked around at the people gathered, and directed them to the sitting room.

"Hawke?" Aveline asked as she entered, the last to arrive. "What's going on? The message wasn't specific…"

Hawke didn't answer, as he heard the footsteps on the stairs and went to open the door. Anders and Olivia walked in, followed by Fenris, who was practically covered in bandages, and there were several quick intakes of breath.

"Where's Kitty?" Isabela demanded as she stood up.

"Sleeping," Anders answered as he collapsed into a chair. "She'll be fine," he said to Hawke, who nodded in relief.

"What happened?!" Isabela insisted.

"Everyone sit down," Hawke directed. "It's going to take a bit." He went to the table and grabbed the decanter. "Drink?" he offered to the room, and almost everyone nodded. Olivia went to help pass out glasses as Hawke poured.

"Today was one of Cat's visits to the Gallows, so I asked Fenris to accompany her to speak with a templar," Hawke began.

"Emeric?" Aveline guessed, and Hawke nodded.

"So what, they were ambushed?" Varric asked, and they looked over to Fenris, who just shook his head.

"Just listen," Hawke said, and continued. "For those of you who don't remember, or weren't with us yet, Emeric is a templar who was investigating missing women. We stumbled into him, and ended up taking over his investigation, which led us to a powerful necromancer, who was… experimenting with and killing the women."

"What happened to him?" Merrill asked with wide eyes.

"We killed him," Isabela said bluntly.

"We attempted to arrest him, and he resisted," Aveline corrected, and Isabela smirked at her.

"Whatever you say."

"The reason I bring this up," Hawke interjected, "is that Emeric has been under the impression that the necromancer escaped." The group looked back to him in surprise. "We didn't exactly give a report about the experience," he responded tersely.

"So?" Varric asked. "He's still investigating?"

"Yes," Hawke answered. "And he believes he has found the killer."

Aveline shook her head. " _ _He__ believes," she said with a shake of her head. "His evidence looked promising, so my guards raided the man's house. And found nothing."

"Very embarrassing," Varric noted, and Aveline scowled at him.

"He's insistent that we missed something, though both the guard and the templars have dismissed the matter."

"Which brings it back to us," Hawke continued. "Cat and Fenris went to speak to him today at the Gallows."

"So what happened?" Anders asked after a pause and Olivia elbowed him.

"Cat asked if we had truly killed the necromancer or not," Fenris spoke up, and everyone besides Hawke looked at him in surprise.

"What, she thought he could resurrect himself after death?" Isabela asked in jest.

"You never explained you know," Anders told her. "When you came to the clinic, you just told her he was dead, that's all."

"And what?" she retorted. "Now she doesn't believe us?" She turned to Fenris. "You set her straight, right?"

"I didn't have a chance to, we were interrupted."

"Okay, so we simply tell her we watched him die then," she said, as if that solved everything.

Fenris shook his head. "That is not my concern," he said, moving slowly to adjust his position. "The information Emeric gave us is."

Hawke cleared his throat, bringing the papers Fenris had brought him in front of him. "While I think we can all agree the necromancer is dead, Emeric's investigations have recorded over fifteen women that have disappeared within the last six months."

"What?" Sebastian asked. "How is that not public knowledge? That's a serial killer loose in our city!"

"There is absolutely no connection between those women," Aveline stated. "I personally interviewed their families and associates. Some have run away, some had publicly stated they were leaving the city. Our city has its share of crime, true, but that doesn't mean every single disappearance is because of a serial killer."

"Good point," Varric agreed. "Between the gangs on the streets, slavers, and your common criminals, that number seems almost small," he reasoned.

"True," Hawke agreed, "but it can't hurt to be cautious, especially with our friends." He glanced over at Isabela, and Aveline, before focusing closer on Merrill, then Olivia. "Everyone gets escorted home for the foreseeable future," he announced causing Aveline and Isabela to scowl, Merrill to smile, and Olivia to look relieved. "I would hate for anything to happen to any of you," he added, and the two that scowled rolled their eyes, knowing they had lost before the argument even began.

"I still haven't heard what happened to Kitty," Isabela brought up as she stood to refill her glass.

"I gathered that the knight captain was acting strangely, by the looks Cat was giving me," Fenris explained. "And once we were done, he met us at the gate as we were leaving, and escorted us away from the ferry, in order to speak privately."

Hawke frowned, taking a gulp from his own glass, and hissing through his teeth after he swallowed.

"He told Cat that he heard she was helping to harbor a mage in the city, and asked if it was true," Fenris continued.

The others looked at their mage friends, who glanced at each other.

"And what did she say?" Anders asked.

"Nothing," he replied, taking offense that Anders could think otherwise. "And he took that as a sign of her guilt."

"What __happened?"__ Isabela repeated again, wishing they would all get to the point.

"There will be no more visits to the Gallows," he said, not wanting to explain further.

"Did he hurt her?" Sebastian demanded.

"No," Fenris answered. "She did that all herself."

The crew looked at him in question, and turned to Hawke as he cleared his throat again. "Remember that gang of assassins we were going to take care of?" he asked. "Apparently Cat was so angry at everyone and everything that she picked a fight with them… at their base."

" _ _WHAT?!"__ the question from everyone became as loud as a shout to his ears.

"Fenris ran in after her, but she wouldn't stop, until the last one was down," he continued, looking over to the elf. "He brought her here, and we got Anders and Olivia, as quickly as we could."

Anders picked up from there. "She lost a lot of blood, and will need several days of rest," he said soberly. "And she has a few new scars… but she's alive."

* * *

Cat grumbled to herself, unhappy to be told to stay in bed another day. __I'm fine!__ she shouted internally. She understood why her friends were upset with her, she would have been furious had the situations been reversed, but it didn't stop her from being sullen about it.

Only when Anders threatened to keep her in bed until the wedding, did she stop protesting out loud and kept it to herself.

When she finally had woken up in the middle of the night, she had honestly been surprised to wake up at all, and if she were being completely honest, it was almost a let down. She was glad to still be alive, truly, but she was so tired of the constant drama around her over the mages and templars.

 _ _Cullen's just the first,__ she thought. __How many more will I lose over this… insanity?!__

She knew it wasn't fair, and didn't make any sense… she was furious with everyone, but most especially Hawke. The boiling hatred she had felt that day was gone, so she simply retreated into herself, wishing she could go back to simpler times like getting a divorce. Even that didn't hurt as much as __this.__

The door cracked open, and she quickly shut her eyes.

"Pretending to be asleep will only work for so long," Leandra said as she walked into the room, setting down a tray and fussing with the curtains, bringing more light into the room. Finishing with that, she picked up the tray and set in on Cat's lap, then sat in the chair next to the bed.

"I'm afraid I'm going to watch you eat that," she told Cat gently. "You're not eating enough to suit your healers."

Cat sighed, finally opening her eyes to look at the tray containing bread and broth. Everything tasted like cardboard, but maybe she could choke down enough to satisfy Leandra. She picked up a piece of bread and nibbled at it.

"I realize you don't want to talk about it all," Leandra said, watching the frown deepen on Cat's face. "But keeping it all inside is most likely what is keeping you from getting out of bed."

Cat looked at her dryly, showing her disbelief for the idea.

"Now now," Leandra said with a smile. "Don't just dismiss it without at least giving it a try," she said. Her voice was extremely gentle as she added, "they love you, you know. They can't help but worry."

Tears welled, and Cat just willed them to go away. Her body betrayed her, as it always did when it came to tears, and they fell down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I can't seem to stop."

"The tears?" Leandra asked, knowing that wasn't what she meant. "It's nothing between friends, now is it?"

"Not friends anymore," Cat said as her lower lip quivered.

"Oh, of course you are," Leandra said, and Cat wondered who she thought they were speaking of.

"Mother?" Hawke asked as he walked in. Noting Cat was no longer pretending to sleep, he gave her a small smile, though the tears had him worried.

"You have… a visitor?" he said in question, wondering if he should send the woman away.

"Oh, it must be about the wedding," Leandra said as she stood. "Sit here Garrett, Anders said Cat needs to finish everything on her plate today."

Garrett noted the food looked untouched, and while he would love to give Cat the space she seemed to want, he wanted her well more. So he sat, and his mother left the room.

"So… uh…" Hawke started, uncertain of what to say. "What were you two talking about?" he asked.

"Friends," Cat said as she looked away, and started eating her bread again. __The faster I finish this, the faster he'll leave.__

"Oh?" he asked, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry about that, by the way." She had heard him say it before, but since he thought she was sleeping he didn't know that.

"Thank you," she said icily. __Perhaps if I make him uncomfortable enough, he'll just go.__ "I'm sure you are deeply upset that I am no longer friends with a __templar,__ " she said.

Hawke wondered how he could feel cold from someone's voice but decided there were stranger things in the world.

They were quiet for some time, the only sound from Cat's chewing and swallowing. Hearing something else, he looked up to see she was crying again.

"Actually, I am upset," Hawke said suddenly, and Cat looked at him like he was a bug.

"Oh?" she said. "And do tell, what has the mighty Garrett Hawke so upset?" she mocked.

"That you are no longer friends with Cullen," Hawke answered, and Cat sneered.

"Sure," she said sarcastically.

"It's true," he insisted. "He made you happy, and helped you see things from both sides, I always envied that." Cat looked at him in confusion and he continued. "From what I've heard, he's had a rough go, and you've helped him too. It seems wrong to simply let that go, just because of me."

Cat sneered again, grateful, because she had felt herself softening. "Don't flatter yourself," she said. "He felt betrayed, and I don't blame him. Anyone would do the same."

"Not everyone," Hawke contradicted her.

"Please," she said with an eye roll, dipping her bread in the bowl of broth and taking a bite. "You get turned in to the templars, and you hear it was me. When you ask, I don't deny it." She looked at him angrily. "And we're still friends? You don't feel betrayed?"

Hawke went to shake his head, but seeing the defeat and fear in her eyes stopped him. He took a moment, thinking it through honestly. "I might feel betrayed…" he said, and she scoffed. "But we'd still be friends."

"What."

He stood, and looked out the window. "I know you, as well as I can I suppose," he said. "You would never betray a friend. So… if that was how it looked, I would just be missing information. So I'd ask you, who was forcing your hand?" He turned back around, seeing the shock in Cat's wide eyes.

"You would not."

Hawke shrugged, glad that he saw something besides despair in her face. "Say what you want, but that's what I would do," he replied as he sat again.

She continued to stare at him, and he went with impulse and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'll always be your friend," he told her. "No matter what."

He didn't quite know what to say after that, as she bit her lip and stared down at her plate.

"Promises like that, are made to be broken," she said, closing her eyes for a moment, before looking back over at him. "But thank you, all the same."

She glanced down, seeing that she didn't finish the broth, but she was suddenly very tired. "I think I want to sleep some more," she said, and he smirked at her.

"Oh? With all the __sleep__ you've been getting?"

She flushed, knowing that Leandra wasn't the only one to see right through her. "That's fine," Hawke said with a smile as he stood and picked up the tray. "Hafter will be delighted to help you finish, and Anders will never know."

He looked back as he got to the door, seeing her settling back on the pillows, the corners of her mouth upturned. He thought about what he knew of her as he walked down to the kitchen, uncertain of why he had never picked up on her fear of others leaving her. He whistled quietly for Hafter, determined to keep his hastily made promise no matter the cost.


	62. Chapter 62- A Wedding

"Can you believe this is happening?" Isabela asked Cat. Cat opened her eyes, seeing Isabela's face directly in front of hers.

"Not really, if I'm honest. Everything was put together so quickly! I've known of people that literally took years to plan their weddings."

"Don't move," Isabela cautioned. "I don't want to smudge this."

Cat was tempted to roll her eyes, but since that was where Isabela was currently working, she settled for a smirk. "Why are you making me wear this again?" she asked about the makeup.

"Because it's a wedding," she answered.

"And?" Cat asked skeptically.

"And…" Isabela sat back, looking over her work. "There will be good looking people there?"

"You don't need my help getting lucky," Cat replied.

"No," Isabela conceded, "but you need mine."

"Issy…" she whined, "we've been over this…" Cat sighed.

"Something has to get you out of this funk you're in," Isabela said, as she put the stick of color down, and moved around to Cat's back to fuss with her hair.

"I guess I'm just feeling a little useless lately, being unable to work with you or Hawke even, since he's always got something about the Qunari happening."

"You've been helping Aveline put this all together haven't you?" Isabela asked, as she gently pulled and twisted the hair into place.

"Yes," Cat answered, wondering what Isabela was doing to her hair. It almost felt as if she was tying it together in knots. "But all that does is bring back memories."

"Oh," Isabela paused, before continuing her work. "I didn't think of that. They weren't all bad memories, were they?"

"No, not all bad," Cat answered, not really wanting to talk about it. In fact, the memories had been bittersweet, remembering how she had prepared for her own wedding and how happy she had been, and then what it had led to. She felt slightly jealous of Aveline at the time, that she could be so carefree and happy now, and Cat had struggled to keep such thoughts to herself, and just be happy for her friend.

"Well, you may not want to get lucky tonight," Isabela said as she finished, coming back around to Cat's front to see her work. "But it won't be for lack of opportunity. You look gorgeous."

Cat looked up at her friend's smiling face. "I don't want to outshine the bride," she teased. "Maybe I'd better just put my hair in a braid."

"Not a chance Kitty," Isabela countered. "Aveline will shine because of how happy she is, no one can outdo that. You, on the other hand… should probably stay close with the crew tonight."

Cat's face scrunched up. "What's that mean?" she asked.

"You may not __be__ sad, but it's like a cloud around you. It makes you look vulnerable, and exactly something that someone trying to take advantage would look for."

Cat chuckled at the thought. "Don't worry about me, I've got that thigh holster and blade you got me last year, and I was planning on wearing it."

"Alright then," Isabela agreed, but was torn between warning the others to keep an eye on Cat, or let her have a good time tonight. "Let's see this dress of yours."

"I probably should have tried it on before now," Cat laughed as she went to the closet. "But if it didn't fit, I didn't want to give Leandra a chance to find another one."

"Sounds like you're hoping it won't."

"It'd be nice to have an excuse to wear my pants," Cat replied. "I mean, look at you! You're wearing pants, and you still look amazing!"

"I think they're just happy I'm not showing off the goods," Isabela laughed at Cat's look. "Okay, yes, I am showing them off, but I've got clothes on, that's the important thing."

Cat looked over again at the skin tight dark leather pants Isabela was wearing, paired with a flowing purple blouse that was constantly falling off her shoulder, and showing a large amount of cleavage. Her hair didn't change, but she had placed a jeweled band in her hair to replace her normal bandanna, and a smaller necklace in place of her large golden one.

"You look fantastic Issy," she commented, putting the dress on her bed, and starting to change. "You'll have your pick of anyone at the party."

"Thanks Kitty," Isabela replied, looking in surprise as Cat finished putting the dress on. It was simple as far as noble ladies' dresses were concerned, but it was nicer than she had expected. The deep green color complimented Cat's dense brown hair, and reminded Isabela of the forest with it's many hues.

"It fits," Cat said, somewhat dejected. "There goes my hope for pants."

"It suits you," Isabela said, helping to fasten the back of the dress. The cinched in waistline accented her friend in all the right places, and the thin material had several layers, creating a flowing look. Even the higher neckline just added to the sex appeal instead of detracting as she would have thought.

"She's taller than me," Cat mumbled, looking down as the dress dragged along the floor. "I'll have to wear boots."

"She's also smaller than you," Isabela said with a smirk. "In certain areas at least, but no one will complain."

"Shut it," came the reply from the closet, as Cat searched for her boots.

* * *

"It's still chilly," Cat complained as they walked to the chantry.

"I told you to bring your cloak," Fenris commented wryly. "That dress hardly provides warmth.

Cat scowled. "It didn't match," she muttered.

"I didn't take you as one who cared so much for fashion," he teased, and Isabela laughed.

"Kitty may pretend not to care, but this isn't the first time she has suffered for beauty," she said.

"Oh?" Fenris asked.

"You have it so easy, I don't think you get to have a say here," Cat interjected, pointing at Fenris. "You don't have to worry about hair, or makeup, or dresses, or even shoes!" she said as she pointed to his simply wrapped feet and bare toes. "Black pants, and a black tunic, and you look utterly beautiful! It's not fair."

Isabela looked at Fenris as he blushed, and tried to speak, but failed. She snickered and teased, "Ah, you got him all flustered Kitty!"

Cat looked over at him, and decided to give him a break. "Maybe we shouldn't be going," she said with a smile. "With the three of us together, we'll leave too many broken hearts in our wake."

"Such is the curse that we must live with," Fenris deadpanned, and Cat grinned. "Come, my friends, we are almost there."

He offered his arms to the women, who latched on at either side, and together they made their way to the chantry, laughing and teasing the entire way.

* * *

The chantry gardens looked spectacular, with the first buds of spring on the trees and bushes. The sun was starting its decline in the sky, and the initiates had braziers lit throughout the area to help ward off the chill in the air.

Cat took everything in at once, awed by how lovely the garden looked. There were many pathways throughout the flora, and though she had been down them before, she found herself wanting to take another walk through.

The three of them made their way to the large terrace where the guests were currently waiting. Cat could see Aveline and Donnic at the side, greeting and speaking to many people at once. Cat had to admit, that Isabela had been right. Aveline simply glowed, and no one could compare that day.

"Fenris, Isabela," Sebastian greeted them in turn as he made his way over to them. "You clean up rather nicely," he said with a smile. Cat realized she had wandered off, and went back to her friends. "Cat? Is that you?" Sebastian asked in awe.

"Uh, yes?" Cat replied.

Sebastian smirked at her. "Seems I now have the proof I needed, Lady Lewis," he said, and Cat scowled at him.

"Not even close," she said in mock seriousness, and he laughed.

"You are so much fun to tease, you know that?" he grinned as he chuckled, and Cat smiled as she rolled her eyes. "You look beautiful," he said.

"Who looks beautiful?"

The group turned, to see Anders and Olivia arriving in the garden, and Cat was amazed at how they looked. Neither one of them were wearing robes, nor carrying a staff, and if you didn't know, you would never guess them to be mages.

Anders was wearing dark brown pants, with a cream colored tunic. Olivia was in a light blue blouse with tan pants, and both of them had kept their hair down. Cat was once again disappointed that there was nothing romantic between them, because they looked so good together.

"You do!" Cat answered with a grin, moving over to give each of them a hug. "You look amazing! I love this shirt," she said to Olivia. "And you!" she turned to Anders, "you're going to have women swooning all over you tonight."

"Oh really?" he asked with a mischievous grin, reminding her of what he must have been like before he merged with Justice. "Well, I'll be sure to catch every one of them, don't you worry." He cocked his head as he got a good look at her. "You look amazing yourself," he said, and she waved away the compliment. "But it looks like we won't have to worry about keeping the men off of you."

"Anders!" Olivia said as she swatted him. "What an awful thing to say!"

"That's not what I meant!" he said quickly. "It's because of Hawke!"

"Oh," Olivia said, then looking over at Cat, smiled widely. "Oh… I see."

"What are you talking about?" Isabela asked before Cat could.

Anders looked over, seeing the confused expressions, and smiled. "I don't want to ruin the surprise," he said. "You'll see."

Cat looked behind her, and Isabela shrugged. Anders and Olivia stepped forward, joining their circle as they visited with each other.

After some time, Varric and then Merrill joined them. Cat was telling the group about writing to Alistair, hoping to get Carver there for the wedding.

"I'm not surprised," Anders said solemnly. "The Grey Wardens have very little time for fun. It's always treasured when they do."

"I just wish it would have happened," Cat said with a smile. "Can you imagine how Leandra and Hawke would have reacted?"

"How I would have reacted to what?" Hawke asked as he stepped over to join them. He started giving hugs to each of them, greeting them as if it __was__ his wedding.

"Thank you for coming! Don't you clean up nice! Maybe we should have a dress code in the future, what do you say, Varric?" Hawke said happily as he went from friend to friend.

"Didn't feel like dressing up Merrill?" he asked her.

"Oh, I wore this fancy ribbon in my hair," she replied.

"Oh, then it's perfect!" he replied, and she lit up.

"Anders, Olivia, long time no see," he teased, and they smiled.

"Fenris, I think you should probably keep that tunic," he said with a smile. "I'll never do it justice after this." He gave Fenris a hearty slap on the shoulder as the elf flushed with pleasure.

"Isabela, sultry and stunning as always," he said nicking her chin.

"Why thank you Hawke," she smiled and gave him a wink.

"And Cat…" Hawke said as he came to face her, "Wow, you look…" he was looking her up and down, with an odd look on his face. "Uh, where did you get that dress?"

"Your Mother?" she said, looking down at her dress, wondering if she had something on it, then looking back at him. "Huh. We're matching," she commented.

Turning suddenly back to the others he said, "Everything will be starting soon, you should all make your way to your places. I'd better go find Mother."

Hawke strode off, and the group was silent for a moment before Varric chuckled. Olivia looked down at him and said, "Does he know what an ass he just was?"

"Doubtful," Varric said with a sigh, and walked over to Cat. "My lady, may I accompany one of the most beautiful women in the city to her place tonight?"

"Would you care to explain what I missed?" Cat asked.

"You know," Varric replied. "Hawke is really good at laying on the charm," he said as he put his hand on the small of her back to move her along with him.

"Is he now?" Cat asked dryly, and the others chuckled behind her as they followed the pair.

"Oh yes," Varric answered. "But expressing what he's actually thinking? Not so much."

"I think we can all agree on that," Cat replied.

"I guess what I'm saying is, don't take it personally? I've always thought you were cute," Varric said. "But tonight? You're breathtaking." They moved into place, creating a part that would encircle the area where the couple would marry.

"What was that about __Hawke__ being able to lay on the charm?" Cat asked wryly.

"I merely verbalize what my eyes perceive," Varric said with a shrug.

"Spoken as a true writer," Cat said with a grin. "Thank you Varric."

* * *

Hawke tried to keep from storming over to his mother and dragging her away from whomever she was currently speaking to. __What in the world was she thinking, giving Cat that dress to wear?__ he said to himself.

Coming up to his mother, he waited for a break in the conversation to politely interrupt. "Mother? I think we need to move into place now," he said. "I'm sorry to interrupt," he added.

"Not a problem," Leandra answered. "Garrett, this is Lady Henley, her husband is one of the men organizing the jobs we are trying to get for the refugees," she explained. "Sarah, my eldest, Garrett."

"A pleasure, my lady," Garrett said, actually meaning it. Leandra had explained how few there were that were trying to help the poverty stricken refugees in the city, and he wholeheartedly agreed that those with means should help.

"The pleasure is mine, I'm sure," the lady demurred. "Leandra, you never said how handsome he was! Surely you won't have trouble finding him a suitable wife."

"No, I don't think I will," Leandra said with a smirk to her son. "But please excuse us, we must be getting into place."

They gave small nods, as Garrett led his mother away. "Enjoying yourself, Mother?" he asked softly.

"Oh indeed," she answered. "It helps that my son seems to be taking the noble world by storm, even though he never attends any functions."

Garrett rolled his eyes. "I'll leave that to you," he said.

"Of course," Leandra replied, though he could hear the sarcastic edge to her words. "Apparently it only adds to the mystery and your appeal. But even I must admit, you look handsome," she added as they came to a stop. She turned, and brushed something off his tunic. "This was a good choice," she complimented.

"Speaking of," he said. "I found the choice for Cat's dress interesting."

"Did you?" she asked, turning back and watching the people as they all moved around them to their places.

"I may act ignorant, but I know the significance of coming to a function in matching colors," he said through gritted teeth.

"Don't be silly," Leandra chided. "Just because some couples choose to do so, doesn't mean that anyone matching is a couple."

"But that's not what others will think," Hawke argued. "I don't need this tonight."

Leandra glanced up at her son, noting he looked upset rather than disgruntled. "What does it matter what they think?" she asked.

"Cat won't like it," he muttered. "And I've just barely gotten her trust… and… I don't want to lose it."

"Oh," she answered with a small smile. "Well that's easy enough to fix, I'll simply explain it to her."

Hawke gave his mother a skeptical look. "You're going to tell her what, exactly?"

"Simple dear," she replied. "I'll just tell her that it was all a coincidence… since you picked the dress by grabbing one at random."

* * *

"I swear, unto the Maker and his bride Andraste, that I will love this man, and be by his side, until the end of my days."

Cat stifled the urge to cheer as Aveline finished and the revered mother spoke once again of the commitment that Aveline and Donnic were undertaking. The ceremony was short, and sweet, though Cat was certain the mother was using this as a chance to preach a little.

Cat couldn't help but compare the ritual to the others she had witnessed back home, and found that she quite enjoyed the simple declarations of love, and the reminders of the promises that were being made by each party.

 _ _If that had been the same for me… would I even be here now?__ she thought.

* * *

When it came to parties, however, there wasn't much of a difference, even when you found yourself in an entirely different world. Cat made her way around the gardens, stopping every so often to greet and speak to those she knew. She kept a drink in her hand, though she hardly had a chance to drink from it.

It had taken quite awhile for her and Isabela to make it to Aveline and Donnic, and give their congratulations and best wishes for the couple. Now, on their way back to their group, Cat had been stopped frequently enough by guards that she knew, Isabela had finally went ahead without her.

Cat was glad that every guard she had spoken to were thrilled at the change that had come into their captain because of her relationship, and spoke of how understanding and patient she was with her guards, though they emphasized she was still tough as a dragon hide when it came to training or rules.

She turned as she heard the sounds of instruments, seeing a few musicians seated together and getting ready to play, so she excused herself, and walked quickly for her friends. The last thing she wanted was to get caught in the middle of a dance that she didn't know.

That was when she ran right into Cullen.

"Oh, pardon me…" she said, rubbing the sore spot on he shoulder. Looking at the person she ran into, she stopped, and asked, "Cullen? Uh… sorry, Knight Captain, I mean."

"My lady," Cullen replied, his face stoic.

"I'm really glad you could make it," she said with a faltering smile, as he looked at her and then away.

"Meredith wanted to congratulate the Guard Captain, but was unable to attend, and asked me to extend her best wishes. Then I will be on my way."

"I can take you to her then," Cat offered to which he nodded, waiting for her to move so he could follow. "Cullen," Cat said in a plea, and he looked at her again. "Can't we talk about this?" she asked.

"I am a templar. You are harboring a mage in the city. That's all there is to say."

"That is what you accused me of," Cat replied, unwilling to agree, as she didn't see it as a crime, and technically, she was just friends with a few.

"You are not then?" he asked, his frown disappearing. "Truly?"

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Cat asked him as she pulled him along.

Their conversation was interrupted as they bumped into Aveline and Donnic that were heading toward the music. Cullen offered the best wishes of the templars to which they said thank you, and they were alone again.

"I guess they are going to dance…" Cat said awkwardly.

"We should probably go as well," he replied.

Cullen steered her back through the foliage to where the music was playing lively, and the people were watching as others danced. There was laughing and merriment as Donnic and Aveline tried to show off dancing skills that neither possessed, though they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Do you want to dance?" Cullen asked her, and she chuckled.

"I'll be as good as Aveline over there, so I hope you are better than Donnic," she said, and Cullen watched the couple for a moment before joining in with her laughter.

"I'd hate to show up the groom, but I'm only marginally better at a guess," he replied.

Cat looked up with a smile. "I will be just fine without dancing, I promise," she said.

"Very well," he said with his small smirk. "I should be returning to the Gallows in any case. There is still much to be done this evening. Can I escort you somewhere?" he asked.

"No, no, you go ahead," she answered. "I'm just going to watch for a little while."

"I hope we can forget everything that happened last time, and perhaps… you'll visit again?"

"Cat! There you are!" they both turned as Anders came up to them. "I've been looking all over for you!" he said as he grabbed her hand. "Let's go."

"Don't be rude," she chided, pulling back to stay where she was. "The knight captain was just saying goodnight."

"Yes, I was," Cullen said, pulling Cat's other hand up again to his mouth, looking up in her eyes as he kissed her hand, lingering over it slightly, giving her a small smirk as he heard her quick intake of breath. "Goodnight, my lady," he said, before turning and walking away.

"What the hell was that?!" Anders demanded, his face contorted in disgust.

"Keep your voice down!" she hissed back at him, noting the people that were turning to look at them. "That was nothing."

"Hmph," he grunted at her, pulling her with him as he stormed away, and she hurried to keep up.

He led her directly to their group of friends, who cheered her name as they joined them.

"You found her!" Merrill said happily as she gave Cat a hug. "It just wasn't the same without you here," she said in Cat's ear.

"Thank you Merrill," Cat replied with a smile. She walked over to where Varric and Hawke were seated on small benches, that had been moved into a semi circle. Olivia and Fenris were seated next to them, with Isabela and a beautiful woman that were talking quietly seated on their other side.

Anders directed her to an empty bench next to Olivia, and Cat was only a little surprised to see Merrill sit on the grass behind them.

"Where did you run off to?" Olivia asked.

Anders sat next to her with another grunt. "I found her swooning over the __Knight Captain,"__ he said, looking as if he were nauseated.

She struck out quickly, backhanding him on the chest. "I was NOT swooning."

"We better hear the evidence, before we decide," Olivia replied with a grin, taking another drink of her mug.

"The Knight Captain," Cat started quickly before Anders could, "came to give Aveline congratulations on behalf of the templars. We spoke for a bit, and watched Aveline and Donnic dance, and as he was leaving, Anders came running up and grabbed my hand. Like any other man not wanting to be outdone, Cullen grabbed my other hand and kissed it, which made Anders upset, for reasons unknown."

"What?" Anders asked in disbelief. "That is sooo wrong!"

"All right Blondie, let's hear your side," Varric said with a grin.

"First off, one thing Cat __failed to notice,__ was the infatuated look on the templar's face! Then, when I come up, and say something about joining our friends, he gets an evil smirk, grabs her hand, and then does this!"

Anders proceeded over to the woman currently enraptured with Isabela, and grabbed her hand, gaining her attention. He then brought it to his mouth, saying "my lady," huskily, so that his breath coursed over her skin, causing her to shiver slightly. He then gave her hand a gentle kiss, his eyes never leaving hers.

Cat could see the woman was affected, her eyes became wider, and her free hand went from Isabela to her own chest, as if to contain her heart from leaping out. Her eyes followed Anders as he came back to his bench to sit.

"I think you're ready to make this a private party," Isabela said as she stood up, holding her hand out to the woman, who nodded and took it. She gave her friends a wink, and led the pretty woman away.

"Hmm, if that's what the knight captain did, I may have to go with Anders on this one," Varric said with a smirk.

"That isn't what happened!" Cat sneered at Anders. "It's a totally different thing when it's your friend!"

"Oh really?" he sneered back at her.

"Yeah!" she said poking her finger to his chest. "Besides, Issy had her all hot and bothered before you did that!"

His mouth dropped open. "Are you saying I can't affect women without help?!" he asked in shock.

Cat looked him over, much to the amusement of the others. "No, curse you, you're crazy handsome, and any woman would be lucky to get your attention." He looked mollified at her words. "But I still mean what I say. As a friend, you wouldn't affect me the same way."

"I suppose," he relented.

"What if you weren't expecting it?" Olivia asked, laughing.

"What are you thinking, Button?" Varric asked with a grin.

"Well, from what we know, Cat and the knight captain weren't on good terms, so obviously, it was an unexpected move from a…friend. And of course, seeing Anders there probably had the man trying to make an impression…"

Cat turned to glare at Olivia. "Whose side are you on?" she asked grumpily.

"I'm just saying, you really like those romantic gestures, even if you don't feel that way about the man."

"No way," Cat argued.

"It seems we'd better experiment," Varric said, giving Hawke a nudge, so he shrugged, then stood up and walked over. "How'd he say it?" he asked Anders.

"Goodnight, my lady," Anders replied, as he grabbed his own drink again.

"Oh, okay." Hawke cleared his throat and put out his hand to Cat, who stared back with one eyebrow up.

"Really?" she asked dryly.

"Just give me your hand," he said, and she did so. He looked over the spot where they were, and shaking his head, reached down, grabbing around her waist, and pulled her to her feet. "There, that's better."

She pushed him away, and he backed off slightly, but held onto her hand. His thumb was slowly rubbing small circles into back of hers, and she looked down with a scowl.

"Cat," he said softly, and she looked up to meet his eyes. He gave her a wicked smirk, stepping closer as he brought her hand up to his face. "Good night," he said, pressing his lips to her knuckles.

She could feel the softness of his lips, along with the scratchiness from his beard, as he kissed her hand and then released. " _ _My…"__ he whispered, and she instinctively leaned in to hear him better, their eyes never straying. "… _ _lady."__

"Wow," Olivia breathed out, causing Anders to roll his eyes at her.

"I win!" he shouted as he jumped up. "You were completely swooning!"

Cat pulled back her hand, feeling the heat rushing to her face. She turned and moved quickly, desperate to get away to where she could cool down. Everything was hot, too hot and she couldn't think straight.

"What did I say?" Anders asked Olivia, as he stared after her. Olivia however was watching Hawke, who had a dopey grin on his face. She looked over at Varric, who winked back at her, and she sported her own dopey grin.

* * *

Cat made her way onto one of the garden paths, feeling mortified. Olivia had been right, she fell each and every time for a romantic gesture, and now she had embarrassed herself in front of her friends.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to forget the way it had felt, the rapid pace of her heart, the heat that crawled all over her… all of it! She needed to forget before she found herself making the same mistakes that she had before.

"Cat?" she heard, and turned in surprise to see Hawke in front of her. "Hey, sorry about that," he said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Oh, it isn't your fault," she replied, ashamed at the direction her thoughts had suddenly turned. "Apparently I just swoon at every little hand kiss… good to know for the future."

"Oh yeah?" He asked with a grin, enjoying that she was able to make fun of herself. "Well we'd better not spread that around, or you'll get every man in Kirkwall trying to kiss your hand." He continued toward her, stopping at her side, and looking out at the garden, trying to see what she was looking at.

She glanced over at him, before focusing again on the tree in the distance, wondering if she could hit it if she had her crossbow. "That would be a sight, surely."

"Sorry about Anders too," he said, wondering what was so interesting about plants.

"It isn't a problem," she replied. "I just wish I knew why he has a problem with Cullen."

"I would think that was fairly obvious," Hawke drawled, turning to look at her.

Cat turned to face him, rolling her eyes. "Besides that," she said.

"Isn't that enough?" Hawke countered.

"No," Cat retorted.

"Hmm…" Hawke thought for a minute before leaning closer, his voice a whisper. _"_ _ _Maybe he doesn't like sharing with the templars."__

Cat smirked, leaning forward as well. _"_ _ _Maybe he should realize, I'm not his to share or not."__

Hawke stepped forward again, and Cat had to tilt her head up to look him in the eye, which put her off balance slightly. Bracing a hand on his chest, she gave him a defiant look.

Hawke grinned, he really enjoyed that stubborn tilt in her jaw. His hand at their sides, started playing with the ends of her hair, happy that it was loose. "It can be tough," he murmured, looking down, his eyes roaming her face. "being what we are. You seem to grasp things that matter more tightly, because you know how easily you can lose it all."

Cat looked down, feeling sorry for her friends, and what they had been through, but her eyes went back to his face. "That can't be easy," she said softly.

"It isn't," he muttered, then the corners of his mouth upturned. "But some things are worth it."

Cat swallowed hard, wondering suddenly what she should do. She was practically in his arms, they were face to face… only a slight movement would bring them together… Yet she waited.

And waited.

Until Hawke stepped back.

"I.. should get back," he said hesitantly.

"Oh… uh, okay," Cat replied, bringing her arms in front of her, her hands clasping. "Me too, I mean, yeah." She wanted to just curl up and die, but the earth wasn't opening to swallow her, so she just stood there.

"I'll see you later then?" he asked, and she nodded. Then he turned and left. Cat closed her eyes and counted to ten before she started hitting her forehead with her palm. She hadn't felt this dumb since middle school when she admitted to Jeremy Morgan that she had a crush on him.

* * *

Cat avoided not only Hawke, but all of her friends for a couple of hours after that. She was embarrassed, sure, but mainly she just kept remembering the moment, and she was trying to do anything she could to forget it.

She spent time with the guards that she knew, and made a point to find Leandra and thank her for the dress. She chuckled as Leandra explained Hawke's concern over their attire, and assured her that she wasn't upset at all, in fact she had gotten nothing but compliments over the dress.

Though it made sense now why no one was asking her to dance, or had refused her own invitations.

As she walked around the garden again, losing herself in her own thoughts, she stopped as she heard Hawke's name coming from the people ahead of her. Curious to get some gossip to share with Varric, she made her way closer, straying from the path in order to hide in the foliage.

"You should have your mother speak to Lady Hawke quickly then, it seems he is trying to take matters into his own hands."

"You mean that voluptuous woman that was wearing the same color?"

"The same. Only the foolish who decide to marry for love would do something so insipid."

Cat stopped, realizing that the comments weren't so much about Hawke after all.

"I'm certain my father could exceed any dowry that has been offered."

"Perhaps we have it wrong, and she is merely infatuated with him."

"Ha! You're right! She obviously has certain __things__ to offer, and I doubt they are family connections."

"No doubt he has grown tired of her charms, but she won't let him go!"

Cat listened for another moment, before rolling her eyes and leaving. __Idiots are everywhere then I suppose,__ she thought. She grinned as she headed back to find Olivia, who would no doubt enjoy what she had heard.

* * *

"Those… those harpies!" Olivia screeched, and Cat just laughed along. She had no idea how much they had had to drink, but with each retelling of the story, she found it more funny, and Olivia, new insults. "How dare they say such things about you!"

"Who cares?" Cat replied with a giggle. "We should get them together so she can be totally unhappy with a noble husband that doesn't want to be noble!" she snickered.

" _ _O husband, why are you always coming home so late?"__ Olivia said in a high falsetto, mimicking the catty women.

" _ _But husband, I don't want to help the Ferelden refugees!"__ Cat answered in kind.

" _ _Hawke… why are you spending more time with the dwarf than me?"__

 _"_ _ _Hawke… your dog keeps hogging my side of the bed!"__

At that last one, both of them erupted in giggles, and Cat knew she shouldn't drink any more.

"Any way… where is er'body?" she asked.

"Uh…" Olivia thought for a minute. "Anders had several women complimenting him left and right, so I made him take them somewhere else before I lost what was in my stomach."

"Naturally," Cat replied.

"Fenris and Seb… Sebba… Choir boy, are over there talking," Olivia said with a wave. "It seems serious and choir boy is happy, so I'm guessing it is about the chantry."

"Most likely," Cat agreed, looking over at them.

"Varric left to ask some guards some questions, now that Aveline left. Said he needs realism in his story."

"Probably Hard in Hightown," Cat muttered.

"Some peacock came over and ordered Merrill to do something, and she actually got up to do it, but then I saw her wandering the gardens, so I assume she's all right."

"Hawke got asked to dance… I think his mother had something to do with it," she said, and Cat thought she meant to whisper that last part, but hadn't.

"And Issy's probably with another person by this point," Cat murmured. "And then, there's us," she said, smiling at Olivia.

"Yes, us. The sad and lonely, with only their cups as comfort."

"What? No. The amazing and beautiful, who choose to enjoy the night with a friend," she corrected.

Olivia pouted, looking at Cat. "At least… at least you could be with someone if you wanted to," she said. "I want to… but can't."

"Okay, what is the deal with this guy?" Cat demanded. "Is he ashamed of you?!"

"No, no…" Olivia said, shaking her head. "He's not, not at all. But can you imagine, the two of us together… here?" It wouldn't work… only cause problems…"

"Well then, why aren't you with him, wherever he is?" Cat asked. "If you love him, you should be with him… right?"

"You… you think so?" Olivia asked, with hope filled eyes.

"Absolutely!" Cat thundered.


	63. Chapter 63- Prime Suspect

Sorry for being a little late, I had family in town, and it's hard to get anything done when that happens. I'm planning on the usual Sunday update for the next two weeks, even though there is a holiday, but that's subject to change. Just know, I'm still writing, and will still update as soon as I can.

That being said, here's the new chapter. Again, a beast to write. I had a clear idea in my head, but couldn't seem to get it out in a way that made me happy, but I think this is as much as I want to agonize over it. Enjoy!

* * *

"How did I get out here again?" Cat asked, as she held onto Olivia, shivering. The cold was sobering her up slightly, and she started to regret the choices that brought her to the streets of Lowtown.

"You can go if you want," Olivia said, trying to sound brave.

"No, I'll see you there," she replied. "I'd worry about you all night otherwise." She looked around their surroundings. "We're almost there, right?"

"Yeah, just around this corner," Olivia muttered, leading the way. Cat started to worry as they moved towards a foundry that looked deserted.

"Uh, Olivia? What would he be doing here?" she asked in concern.

"Okay, hear me out, all right?" she asked as she continued moving forward, wanting to get out of the cold. "Remember what I told you about him? He's a mage that has high connections, right? Well, he's using those connections to help the mage underground."

Olivia opened the door, and walked into the foundry. Cat couldn't help but be glad to be out of the cold, though this was hardly better. "So if he's got all these great connections… what is he doing here?" she asked. "Anyone could hide out in a deserted foundry."

"Hiding is for the best. The templars would destroy this entire street to cover up his research."

"Research?" Cat asked.

"It may sound crazy, but if he succeeds? It would be a huge step forward for mages, and take us out from under the templars' control." Olivia turned then, beaming. "He's looking for a cure! For tranquility!" she exclaimed to Cat. "Wouldn't that be amazing? Can you imagine?!"

"Uh…" Cat stared. She knew that as an idea it was appealing, but in reality? The tranquil didn't usually survive having their repressed memories and feelings returned in one fell swoop. "Well, yeah, it would… but Olivia, it's also extremely dangerous," Cat said in worry, as she looked around.

"Hence the secretive workspace," Olivia answered. "He's kind of obsessed with all this, and won't let anyone know about it. In fact, I'm the only one he told," she said with pride. "Which of course means, I never told you."

"Of course," Cat replied. "How would one even go about reversing tranquility?" she asked, following Olivia through the building, wondering the identity of this crusading mage.

"Well, we know it has something to do with the lyruim's effects on the brain, basically closing off how the brain processes emotion, similar to the way it represses the bad memories of the templars. So, he's working on a way to counteract the lyrium… I think."

"You think?!" Cat asked, only slightly sarcastic.

"Well, I'm not exactly privy to his research you know."

"No, I didn't know," Cat said apologetically.

"Yeah, it's a sore spot," she muttered.

Cat watched in apprehension as Olivia pushed a switch on a wall, then walked over to the corner of the room to pull up a trap door.

"Olivia…" Cat gasped.

"Look I know what this looks like, but he needed a place to work, and after the guards came and took everything away, it seemed the perfect place! No one would bother him here!"

"This is where…" Cat trailed off, looking around the room, her anger and apprehension growing.

"That necromancer was, yes." Olivia sighed. "I'd better explain a couple things."

"Yeah, you should," Cat replied, focusing on her friend.

"Follow me," Olivia said, leading the way through the tunnel, but leaving the door ajar. "If this becomes too much, I'll understand, and you can turn around and go home. But just listen before deciding anything." They stood underneath the trap door, Cat debating, and Olivia waiting patiently. Finally, Cat nodded, and Olivia started walking, though at a more casual pace now.

"You know as well as I do, that sometimes in order to make a big change… uh, unpleasant things have to happen."

"What do you mean?" Cat asked, not expecting __that__ to be what Olivia said.

"Curing tranquility isn't like healing someone. Frankly, there are a lot of unknowns. Mages aren't exactly allowed at the ritual, unless they are the victims."

"Yes, I get that."

"So, this research has basically been trial and error."

"Olivia?" she asked. "What exactly are you trying to tell me?"

"A reward this huge doesn't come without sacrifice, Cat." Olivia stared forward, unwilling to meet Cat's eyes. "Though it gives some comfort to know that they were willing."

Cat reached over, grabbing Olivia's arm and turning to face her. "Spill it," she said, her eyes narrowed.

"It's not right yet, and yes, a few tranquil have died, but Cat!" Olivia said, as she looked away. "This will help thousands of mages all over Thedas! Once we've perfected it, no mage will have to worry about being made tranquil ever again!"

"How many?" Cat asked, feeling numb. "How many have died?"

"Not many!" Olivia said in earnest. "And Gas said he's so close, it will be any day now."

"Gas?"

"Oh, right," Olivia said. "I'll introduce you when we get there. He probably won't be happy I brought you, but I couldn't let you go home alone, not with some crazy person on the loose."

"Maybe I should go," Cat said quietly. "I'm getting a really bad feeling about all this."

"What?" Olivia asked in dismay. "Gas can explain it better, I'm just so excited, I'm not able to even think straight! He'll answer your questions, help you see how important this is!"

"I sincerely doubt that."

"Cat…" Olivia looked at her in sorrow and disappointment. "I thought if anyone would understand what we're trying to do here, it would be you."

"Why me of anyone?!" Cat demanded. "I just want to figure out how to get everyone to get along! Not more death, and crazy experiments!"

"Crazy?!" Olivia gaped, insulted. "This will make life better for all mages!"

"Not those tranquil who died at your hands!" Cat roared back.

Olivia stopped, just outside a door, and turned to look at Cat. "You aren't even trying to understand. But how could you? You were never in danger of having everything taken away. Of having who you are, your thoughts, __your dreams,__ stripped away from you. Any mage would rather die than be made tranquil. And any true mage would gladly give everything, even their __life__ to bring about a cure."

"You're right, I don't understand," Cat said, her anger fading as her apprehension grew.

Olivia turned again, to open the door. "I'll prove it to you," she said, gesturing for Cat to go in.

It took only a moment to decide, but it felt like an eternity. Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. No matter how badly her "run away screaming!" radar was warning her, she couldn't just leave Olivia here either. So she stepped forward and through the door.

* * *

Anders chuckled, seeing Hawke look quickly around, then hiding behind the large brazier pillar that he was leaning on. "Problem?" he asked with a grin as he lifted his cup for another drink.

"I passed by, I'm not here," Hawke muttered.

"Excuse me ser," a pair of what looked like noble ladies that were moving in a hurry stopped in front of Anders and he gave an appreciative smile as he glanced at them. Their dresses showed a fair amount of their assets, and to his mind were perfect to snag their idea of the perfect husband. Thinking of saving them from Hawke as much as saving him from them, he nodded.

"How may I be of service?" he asked politely, and upon hearing their request, directed them on a false trail that would lead them back to the dancing area, where hopefully they would find someone else who would strike their fancy.

Once they left, Anders enjoyed another drink and waited. After another long minute he said, "They are gone, you can come out."

A large sigh of relief sounded just before Hawke emerged from behind him. "Thank you," Hawke muttered.

"And here I thought Hawke always kept a cool head in the face of danger," Anders drawled, his amusement climbing to new heights.

"Shut it," Hawke replied. "You have no idea how __persistent__ they were."

"Must be difficult," Anders said with a laugh. "Being such a desired commodity."

"Exactly," Hawke grumbled, swiping Anders cup and downing the rest of it. "Like a damned accessory for their outfit." He glanced around, rolling his eyes at Anders laughter, and handing back his cup. "Where are the girls?" he asked, expecting to see them with Anders.

"I'm not their keeper," he replied. "I was too busy getting a few kisses from a pretty initiate."

Hawke's eyebrow rose in question. "A member of the chantry? You do enjoy playing with hell fire, don't you?"

Anders smirked in response. "I wasn't in the mood for anything serious. You can always count on initiates for a quick cuddle with no strings attached."

Hawke shook his head. "Well come on then, we'd better see how everyone else is faring."

"Very well," Anders sighed, standing up from his leaning. "Maker willing, Olivia is ready to go home now that the bride and groom have left."

"If she's still drinking as much as she was earlier, she should be ready to pass out," Hawke replied as they started to walk.

"We can hope," Anders added. "When she gets only a little drunk, she tends to do whatever pops into that head of hers. She and Cat are similar in that regard."

* * *

Cat was startled at suddenly not being able to move. It was as if her limbs just didn't respond any longer.

"You'll live just long enough to regret coming here," a voice said from the shadows.

"Gas, it's me!" Olivia called out.

Silence followed her announcement, and Cat wished she could turn her head to look at her friend.

"Gas? Darling?" she spoke again, trepidation coloring her voice, and Cat's breathing became erratic.

She looked on in surprise as Olivia stepped forward, coming into her line of vision. Her shock was even greater as she recognized the man that stepped forward to meet her.

"I thought we discussed this," he said in a clipped tone, the anger apparent. "I knew you were not ready."

"I'm sorry," Olivia answered immediately, her head hanging. "I just wanted to see you."

Cat noted he seemed unaffected by Olivia's words, and began to wonder what their relationship truly was. It seemed it wasn't quite as picturesque as Olivia had implied. In fact, she could see Olivia was trembling a little.

"Your explanation does not include this other woman," he said in monotone, as if he didn't care.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry." He glanced over at Cat before glaring back at Olivia. "This is my friend, Cat. She escorted me here, and I thought if you could explain to her, as you did for me, that…" she paused, seeing the intense anger on his face. "She could be a great… help," she finished meekly.

He glanced over to Cat again, scrutinizing her. "This is the one you have told me about?" he asked.

"Oh, yes!" Olivia said exuberantly and Cat had the thought of a puppy, excited to be handed a treat. "This is her!"

With a wave of a hand, Cat felt herself released from whatever was holding her, and wondered if it was the petrify spell. __See Hawke,__ she thought. __We need to know what we're dealing with!__ It took a moment to get her bearings, and she looked up as the man, "Gas" reached out and ran his hand over Olivia's hair.

"I suppose I can forgive you this time," he said giving her a small smile.

"Thank you," Olivia said in relief.

"Please come in," he offered, turning back to where he came from as if expecting them to follow without question. "Livvy has told me so much about you."

 _"_ _ _Livvy?"__ Cat mouthed to Olivia, only to get a dreamy smile in response. Her stomach sank, and she started wondering why she still had such a bad feeling.

* * *

"That's everyone accounted for," Anders said as he met back up with Hawke. "Though I really wish you had been the one looking for Isabela."

"Not everyone," Hawke replied, looking concerned. "Olivia and Cat haven't been seen in over an hour."

"What?" Anders asked, looking around at the table where he had left them. "I left them only an hour ago." At Hawke's expression he added, "or so…"

"Well then they left soon after you did," Hawke replied. "I thought they agreed not to leave without an escort."

"Knowing those two, they probably thought they were each others' escort," Anders replied. "They are both experts in twisting the rules to suit their needs."

"Ugh," Hawke groaned. "I'm going to worry all night now."

"We'd better make sure they made it home then," Anders replied. "Should I get the others?" he asked.

Hawke glanced back where he saw Fenris and Sebastian in a conversation they both seemed invested in, Varric at a table surrounded by a crowd, Merrill out in the garden enjoying the fauna… and he shook his head.

"I'm sure we can handle checking Cat's and the clinic. No need to worry anyone unless they aren't there."

Anders nodded. "I'll check the clinic then, and meet you back here?" he asked. "We'll go faster if we split up."

"Very well," Hawke agreed. "You don't return in an hour and I'll send Fenris after you."

Anders answered Hawke's smirk with his own. "Now I'm scared," he stated, and turned to leave. "One hour," he replied over his shoulder.

Hawke glanced back at the party, looking for his mother, and seeing she was surrounded by other nobles. __One hour, I doubt she'll even notice,__ he thought, and took his leave, heading straight for Cat and Fenris' mansion.

* * *

"So… Olivia tells me you are trying to reverse tranquility?" Cat asked, wanting to fill the awkward silence. They had been shown to a small sitting area, and were sitting in silence as they drank the tea he served.

"Oh?" he said, glaring over at Olivia. "It seems I am not the only one that she prattles on to then?" he said with a laugh. "I only tease you of course," he said sweetly to Olivia who smiled at him.

Cat glanced at her friend again, wondering who this stranger was that took her place. She wasn't acting like Olivia at all.

"Uh, right," Cat replied, uncertain of how to even speak to him. "She seems quite confident in your ability to do so, though I must admit I have my reservations."

He smirked at her. "I don't doubt it, but that is to be expected," he said smugly. "Thinking outside the social reality is difficult for most, but especially the uncultured."

Cat's eyebrow raised at the insult, but she decided to let it go. She worried about getting him upset, feeling as if she was sitting on an explosive just waiting to go off.

"Livvy was much the same, but her vision soon broadened," he continued, and Cat's nerves grated at his nickname for her friend. "Her assistance made things easier."

Cat glanced over as Olivia beamed at him. "Undoubtedly," Cat agreed. "Olivia is great at everything she does."

He rolled his eyes, and Cat decided she despised him, Olivia was way too good for him. "I wouldn't go quite that far, but she has her uses."

"Gas!" Olivia said in reproof, and for a moment Cat had hope. But it was quickly dashed.

"Should I bring up the setbacks?" he asked, and Olivia dropped the issue with a shake of her head.

"Like I said…" he said with a smirk, and Cat stood up, getting frustrated. "Sit," he ordered.

Cat looked over at him with a frown. "My friend may obey your commands, but that doesn't mean I will," she stated arrogantly. She had had her fill of his attitude, and was ready to leave. "I've heard enough."

"Cat!" Olivia said, aghast at her friend's behavior, looking over to her man in apology.

"You are a guest, and it is still undetermined if you are welcomed or not," he sneered back at her. "I will not allow you to leave to tell the templars of my location."

"I couldn't care less about what you're doing here," Cat retorted. "I want no part of it."

"Sit down," he said quietly. "I won't ask again."

"Gas, Cat's my friend!" Olivia said, standing up. "Don't threaten her!"

Cat smiled in triumph, but it faded as he gave her a wide smile back. Turning to Olivia, he looked upset.

"How could you say that?" he asked her softly, his eyes pleading. "I only want to protect us, you know that," he said. "I don't know what I would do, if the templars were to get their hands on you."

Cat looked on, as he turned everything around, as if he was the victim in this bizarre act. Olivia softened, and faced Cat with anger.

"Cat, I can't believe you're acting like this!" she said hotly. "You know what kind of fear we mages live with. Of course he's going to think you're going to the templars when you act this way."

"He's playing with you!" Cat retorted. "Can't you see?"

"That was totally uncalled for," Olivia replied, crossing her arms in front of her. "Now sit back down, we can work this out. We're friends, aren't we?" she asked.

Cat was torn. Her friend wasn't seeing clearly, but she couldn't force the issue. "Fine," she said, moving forward and sitting back down. "Please Gascard, explain this to me. I'd like to know how killing people is going to reverse tranquility."

* * *

Hawke raced in the door, uncertain what his hurry was. __They're at the clinic of course. Cat would insist on walking Olivia home…__ but no matter what he told himself, he couldn't get rid of the need to move faster.

"You're home early messere," Bodahn spoke up as he walked into the room.

"Not quite, just needed to get my staff," Hawke replied, as he rushed up the stairs, and coming back quickly, his staff in hand.

"Before you go," Bodahn spoke quickly seeing the rush Hawke was in. "A messenger dropped something off for you, from the Knight Captain."

Hawke paused, hesitating, wondering if it was worth it. He moved over to the desk, picking up the paper and reading the terse message.

 _"_ _ _Emeric murdered. Don't leave the city."__

Hawke nearly sobered instantly as he read those words. __Murdered?__ he thought. __By whom?!__

He wasn't sure what was happening, but his mind immediately went to the worst possible scenario. He turned and whistled for Hafter, waiting as the barking hound ran down the steps. He placed his staff on his back, and grabbed his belt that was sitting by the door. He just might need one of the potions he kept stored there.

Hawke flung open the door and stopped, looking over to Bodahn. "I don't know when I'll be back," he called. "I need you to go to the chantry and find Fenris. Tell him I need him to escort Mother home and stay here to protect her."

He didn't wait for a response, just headed back into the street, his mabari at his side. He reached down to scratch his head. "I need you to help me find them, Hafter," he said softly.

* * *

Gascard DuPuis smiled at Cat, looking intrigued, while Olivia looked shocked. "But… do you know him?" she asked.

"No," Cat answered. "Heard his name of course," she said, turning to Gascard. "Emeric was certain you were the killer plaguing the streets."

"Of course he did," he smirked. "That templar simply crossed my path, and made assumptions."

"I don't hear you denying it," Cat glared at him.

"But of course I am," he said gently, his composure enviable. "I have simply tested my solutions on willing volunteers." He reached out for Olivia's hand, and Cat sneered. "That is not a killer."

"Those __volunteers__ are dead, are they not?" Cat argued. "That screams killer to me."

"If you think that, then I must be a killer too," Olivia added. "I told them about it, I got the volunteers, I brought them here."

"You didn't know what you were doing," Cat said.

Olivia shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "You underestimate how important this work is," she replied.

Cat glared at Gascard, her anger getting ahead of her sense. "Are you even working on tranquility? Or was it all a ploy to get test subjects in order to test out Quentin's research?" she accused. She could see his eyes widen, but then the wide, creepy smile was back.

Gascard looked to Olivia, rubbing her hand with his thumb. "I warned you, did I not?" He asked her sadly. "They never understand."

"Quentin?" she asked. "Who's that?" She looked from Cat to Gascard.

"The dead necromancer," Cat spit out, the feel of getting Olivia away from him pushing her on. "Gascard was his apprentice."

Olivia looked at Gascard with wide eyes. "What?" she asked.

"It seems you were right about her, Livvy," Gascard said to Olivia. His face didn't turn, but his eyes moved over to Cat, and she backed up a little. "She seems to know things she shouldn't."

His eyes returned to Olivia as his hand moved to her face. "I apologize for not believing you."

"Olivia?" Cat asked, feeling betrayed. "What-?"

"I mean, it was just something I wondered about," Olivia said, rubbing her forehead. She stood up and walked over to a chest. "It just seemed strange that you knew things about people here, when you came from Ferelden. And Anders said some pretty weird things too, though they never made sense."

Cat realized too late what Olivia was doing. It had looked as if she was walking around to gather her thoughts, or to get out restlessness. But as she glanced over at Gascard, she could see the blood dripping from his hand to the table. Before she could stand, ropes were around her, tying her to the chair.

"Olivia?!" Cat asked in shock.

"I mean, I have no idea if you actually have some ability or what, but it always struck me as strange. Every time you have a bad feeling, something horrible happens."

Cat was speechless as Olivia continued to tie her up, seemingly unaware of what she was doing.

"Now…" Gascard spoke as Olivia returned to her seat, rubbing her head in confusion. "Tell me about Quentin."

* * *

"What do you mean?!" Anders asked, getting more and more upset with the elf. __He does this deliberately just to infuriate me!__ he thought.

"Exactly what I said," Fenris replied, giving Anders a look of disdain. "Hawke asked me to escort his mother home and protect her. She insisted on staying longer, so I am keeping watch on her until I can escort her home."

"That's-!" Anders growled in frustration and lowered his voice. "That's not what I was asking and you know it."

"I thought it was clear," Fenris said, not looking away from Hawke's mother. "It was a message sent through the dwarf in Hawke's employ. Hawke wasn't here, and I have no idea where he went."

Anders ran his hand down his face, getting nowhere. "So he just went off on his own?!" he growled. "Obviously something is wrong, so why didn't he take us with him?! What if something happened to Cat or Olivia?!"

"Calm down."

"How can I be calm?" Anders hissed, though he did keep his voice low.

"Hawke isn't stupid, if he went without us, he can handle it."

"He may not be stupid, but even you can't deny he can be reckless," Anders said defiantly.

"True," Fenris said, thinking it over.

"Bodahn said he took the mabari with him," he offered, wondering now if he was wrong to be so confidant in Hawke.

"Well, that's something at least," Anders groused, turning around to go find Varric. Hopefully together they could come up with some sort of plan.

* * *

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Hawke asked again, and Hafter merely glanced back before giving a huff and continuing forward. "Right, sorry boy," he apologized.

"I just find it hard to believe they came here," he said as he looked at the foundry in front of them.

He had been certain he would find some sign of a scuffle, since there was no reason for either of them to go to Lowtown that night. He had then decided they must have gone to the Hanged Man, and he went in, though Hafter protested, and the place was practically deserted when he went in, with no sign of either of them.

He had practically heard Hafter scolding him for even going in, and they once again were on their way. Then he had questioned his hound at every turn, and now found himself wanting to do so again, but caught himself in time.

True, Hafter wasn't a tracking dog, but he was incredibly smart, and knew Cat's scent like his own. The fact that they were heading to the door of the deserted foundry just had him doubting. There was no way Cat would come here, let alone Olivia. Besides that… what were the odds that this new killer would use the same place as the necromancer?

After making their way inside, and seeing the trap door open… Hawke no longer had any doubt. Hafter's hackles were raised, and Hawke grabbed his staff before they moved ahead.

* * *

Cat remained quiet, as she had ever since Gascard had started to question her. Eventually his hold on Olivia would be broken, unless he was willing to let her die, which she doubted. He'd have trouble finding another person willing to cater to him as she had. Once that hold was gone however, Cat had no doubt Olivia would see the truth, and they could get away.

He didn't seem to want to hurt her, which was strange in her mind. She wouldn't withstand torture very well, but perhaps he simply wasn't willing to take the chance, or he just had plenty of time. He knew no one knew where they were, thanks to Olivia, but Cat still found his behavior odd.

They all turned toward the door, hearing the noise. Cat wasn't sure, but would have said it was a bark, if she hadn't known better. It did what she had been waiting for however, as Olivia looked around as if coming out of a daze.

"Gas?" she asked. "Cat?!" her eyes wide in shock. "What's going on?" she demanded, just as the door burst open.

Gascard grabbed Olivia, using her as a shield, and facing the man and mabari in the doorway.

"You're already dead," Hawke said menacingly. "It can be quick and painless if you let them go, or I'll let my hound do it." Hafter growled as if hoping he picked the latter.

"You must be Hawke," Gascard said arrogantly. "I've heard-"

"Don't care," Hawke interrupted him, causing him to grit his teeth in anger. "Don't care who you are either. Let them go. I won't ask again."

"That's my line," Gascard said with a smirk. "You've caused me a lot of trouble killing my mentor. It's only fair I return the favor."

"Hafter," Hawke said, and Hafter barked, crouching back to lunge forward.

"NO!" Cat screamed, as Gascard pulled back Olivia's head with the arm he had holding her, and bringing the knife he had hidden behind him up to slice across her throat, and dropping her at his feet.

Hafter reared forward, jumping with a snarl. Gascard stepped aside as his spell struck, and with a yelp, Hafter fell, sliding across the floor.

Hawke started flinging his own spells, careful to not fling anything that could hurt Olivia at the man's feet, but as each spell was countered, he grew increasing furious. Neither the woman nor his dog were moving, and he needed to end this mage so he could heal them before it was too late.

Cat, still tied to the chair was moving frantically, jumping in her seat, trying to move closer to where her friends had fallen. They were surprisingly close together, and as Hawke pushed Gascard away in defense, she used everything she had to get closer. She could feel the ropes cutting into her skin, but she didn't care.

Getting nowhere, she moved even more, and toppled her chair over, hitting the ground on her shoulder with a pain so bad, she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Pushing against the hard packed dirt floor, she finally starting inching forward.

She looked up occasionally, hearing the shouts of pain from Hawke, as Gascard employed his blood magic against him. She tried flipping to her back, hoping to break the chair, but did little except hurt her back. So she continued her earlier struggle to get to Hafter and Olivia.

It seemed like an eternity, but she made it close enough to Hafter to realize he was still breathing, though she could tell he was in great pain. She rubbed her face on the top of his head. "Hang in there boy," she said softly, "I'll be back." Facing her next goal, she pushed again, moving forward.

Her arm was numb, both from the fall and having it beneath her as she scooted across the ground, but she didn't even think of it as she moved forward.

"Olivia," she said, trying to find movement from her friend. "Olivia…" she groaned loader, but found nothing… not even the rising or falling of her chest in breathing, and her own breath hitched.

"You think you stand a chance?" she heard Gascard gloat. "Look at you! You're no match for me!"

She looked up in worry, unable to see Hawke from where she was laying. "You're arrogance will be your undoing!" Hawke called back, and Cat breathed a sigh of relief, and returned to her task.

Finally reaching Olivia, she nudged her repeatedly, getting no response. Planting her feet, she used her head to nudge her over, rolling her. It took a lot of energy, and she had to pant for a moment before resuming. Finally, finally, Olivia rolled, and Cat was able to look in her face.

And saw her open, dead eyes staring out.

"NO! NOOOO!" Cat screamed. "OLIVIA!" She whirled her head, having to use her feet to adjust her position before she could see Gascard. "YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED HER!"

Gascard stopped, and Hawke was sorry that he was grateful for the distraction, especially because of what it was. He could hear the pain and anguish in Cat's voice as he panted. He didn't know how he was going to survive this, let alone kill the other man. He hadn't been able to get in a single hit, but not for lack of trying.

"Don't be sad," Gascard cooed at Cat. "I'll bring her back, it is my specialty after all. Now that I have you, the secrets to Quentin's work are mine." He grinned at her in anticipation. "We'll be so happy, the three of us."

"YOU SICK, TWISTED, SON OF A -" Cat couldn't finish as her voice gave out, and she began sobbing, and coughing into the dirt.

"No need to be vulgar," Gascard said with a grin. He turned back, surprised that Hawke was on his feet. "And here I thought you had had enough," he mocked.

"You're not dead, so I'm not done," Hawke replied, looking over at where Cat continued to sob, as she tried to move closer to Olivia's body. He could scarcely believe she was dead, knowing he had been too late. He would do his best, but he felt Cat would soon be crying for him as well.

The other mage was simply toying with him, he was smart enough to see that. Any point that Hawke began to get an advantage, he would cast a blood spell, causing Hawke's own blood to boil, and he would lose any chance he had. The mage could kill him easily, but would release the spell and give him time to recover, before they would start the dance again.

He was under no illusions. He had to do something drastic, or he was going to die. The problem was, he had no idea what that something was.

He used any spell that would come to mind, trying misdirection, trying to make his spells look like something other than what they were, but the blood mage was able to counter them completely, or take minimal damage.

The only thing Hawke could see what that he was using just as much energy as Hawke himself was. Giving Hawke time to recuperate also gave him time to replenish enough blood to cast his devastating spell again. The only way to win was to attack right after, but Hawke simply didn't have the energy once the blood spell was released.

They circled again and again, and Hawke struggled to simply stay alive. He looked over as the sobbing ceased, seeing Cat laying on the ground, her face turned to him, though she looked as if she were defeated. He couldn't stand that look on her face.

He tried to get closer, but the blood mage prevented him from going to her. He could feel his strength waning even before he cast another spell. The blood mage wasn't ready for it, and it struck, though it was hardly fatal. Hawke fell to one knee, panting.

"Is that… the best you've got?" Gascard sneered, cutting another slice in his arm, and casting his spell, setting Hawke's blood aflame.

Hawke fell on his back, writhing in pain. He was finished, he could feel it. He tried not to scream, but the pain was unbearable.

Cat lifted her head at the sound of Hawke screaming in pain, something within her burning, calling to her to move, to help. She moved towards him, knowing she could do little but comfort him. She made it nearly to him when his body went lax. She turned her head, seeing Gascard down on one knee, panting, blood staining his arms completely, and she paled a little at the thought of what Hawke had been going through.

"Hawke…" she uttered, grateful when she heard him groan. "Hawke… what can I do? How can I help?"

He was panting as well, though shallowly, and Cat worried what that meant.

"I… I can't…" he muttered on a groan. "I'm… spent. I…'ve got… no…thing … left…" he said between pants.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, unable to speak louder after crying for so long. "I can't get free. I'm useless."

"No," he said, continuing to just focus on breathing. "My fault."

"Just because you're the leader doesn't mean you're responsible for everything that happens, you moron."

"Not. Not… strong enough."

"I am, I just can't move!" she moaned as her movements caused the ropes to break her skin open further. "Maker's Balls!" she cursed.

Hawke chuckled, which turned into a cough. "Mana coming back, but I'm spent, sorry," he told her.

Cat looked at the ground, wishing she could take out her frustration, her anger, her sorrow- besides bashing her head on the ground. A thought raced through her mind, and she automatically rejected it, before she turned back to Hawke.

She couldn't see his face, she was basically facing his side, and could only see his arm, but they were close enough to hear each others' whispered conversation. _"_ _ _Take mine,"__ she whispered hesitantly.

"What?" he asked.

"Take mine," she said, only slightly louder.

"Your what?" he asked, confused.

"My… energy."

"Cat, shut up."

"It's the only way," she argued.

"No."

"Do you want to die?" she asked.

"Of course not, but everybody has to die sometime."

" _ _Take__ it."

"Do I look like a blood mage?! I don't even know how!"

" _ _Just do it!__ "

Cat had no idea what to expect when having this conversation, or if it was even possible, but she realized she would rather die than be alive with Gascard.

"Please…" she added. "Please don't leave me with him."


	64. Chapter 64- All that Remains

Anders and Varric moved quickly, though both were uncertain if there was a point to what they were doing. Even if by some miracle they found a clue as to the whereabouts of their friends, there was no telling how long it would take to gather their crew and storm the place.

They walked silently through the quiet streets, heading for the Hanged Man, where Varric said he could gather information and get people on the lookout for their friends.

Once they arrived, Anders waited impatiently for Varric to have his private conversations. He rushed to the dwarf once he looked finished.

"Well?!" he demanded.

"Not much to go on," Varric said seriously. "Hawke came through awhile ago, but didn't stay long. Just came in, looked around and walked back out. Seems he was looking for Little dove and Button as well."

Anders sighed in defeat. "Now what?" he asked.

"We have a few options, though none are certain. My suggestion would be to leave someone here to relay to the others as they come, and then get out on the streets and hope someone saw something."

"Hope? That's it?" Anders asked.

"You think of something better, Blondie?" Varric asked, not taking offense. He really wished there was a better option.

"Unfortunately, no,"Anders replied. __First Emeric, then the girls, and now Hawke,__ he thought, thinking of the message Fenris had shared with him. He hoped fervently that his friends' fate was kinder than the templar's.

* * *

"Cat, I can't do this…" Hawke said, closing his eyes. "I've never tried anything like this before. I could easily kill you without realizing it."

"If you don't, he will most definitely kill you, and eventually me. This way, at least one of us lives for certain, though I won't lie… I hope you do it right and I don't die at all."

Hawke made a disgusted noise at her flippant attitude. "I've had discussions with Merrill about how she does blood magic, that's it! I'd say it's pretty certain you'll die if I try. If I'm killed, you could still get away from that monster when he lets his guard down."

"No… because he won't care if he kills me. He's trying to perfect his necromancy." She could hear Gascard moving slowly nearby. "Please try Hawke," she asked again. "I don't want to be undead."

There was silence between them, and they could hear Gascard standing back up.

"You fought valiantly, but you were no match for me," he sneered as he moved. "One more ought to take any further fight out of you, and then you can hear her screams as you die!"

"Cat," she heard from Hawke, as Gascard started limping forward, moving his staff. "Once you feel the spell, get away as fast as you can. If I can't stop, I need you to get out of range."

"Okay," she replied, and hissed as she felt something slice down her hip, just before Hawke started screaming and writhing again.

She wished she could get into a position where she could at least touch him, let him know she was there, but the way she was positioned with the chair, all she could do was kick him in the head if she tried.

When Hawke went silent, she could hear Gascard start chuckling to himself. She wished strongly that she had a dagger, if only for a moment, so she could shut him up for good.

Cat gasped softly as she felt something on her leg. She thought that the blood had started to congeal, but now it was flowing freely, oozing down her leg in a steady stream. She had no idea what __exactly__ was happening, but knew enough to brace herself. Hawke was doing something… whether the spell would succeed or fail, she didn't know, but her heart soared with hope.

It wasn't pain exactly, more like the tingling feeling, the same as in her arm as it was slowly shaking off the numbness. The feeling became more uncomfortable, and she noticed how drowsy she felt as her eyelids fluttered. Following Hawke's instructions, she dug in her heels and pushed against the ground, moving slowly away from him.

It was even slower going than before, but she kept yelling to herself silently, to keep going even when her body wanted to stop. She pushed past Olivia, focusing on Hafter, knowing if she stopped she would just break down again. She pressed forward hoping against hope that the hound was still breathing.

Cat's progress slowed as her leg that had been cut refused to move any more. She couldn't tell if she was still losing blood, but felt more tired than she could ever remember, her body begging for her to stop.

"Hafter…" she breathed out, pushing with her single foot, until she was next to the hound where she collapsed. She fought to keep her eyes open, and was rewarded to see Hafter's chest rise and fall, though it was shallow. Her eyes closed, and her head dropped to the ground as a smile formed on her lips.

"I can understand why you'd leave the man," Gascard's voice came from above her. "After all, he failed to help you… but what can a dead hound do?" he laughed at her. Cat forced her eyes open, though she had a hard time focusing.

"We could always experiment with the man and the dog before bringing Livvy back," he mused. "Of course necromancy only works on the dead…" he smiled at her, and Cat shrank back as best she could. "Though I must admit, killing you all and getting some peace is too tempting to pass up."

Cat had no chance to do anything but brace herself for the blow as Gascard lifted his staff in the air, brandishing his staff blade above her. "Don't worry my pet, I'll bring you back soon enough, and we'll have a very long talk… about everything."

Cat just closed her eyes, not able to fight any longer. The growl and scream she heard had her eyes flying open, her body trying to move hastily away but unable to. Gascard's arm was between Hafter's jaws, and as the hound bit down, Cat could hear the snap of his bones.

Unable to hold onto his staff, he dropped it, pulling at Hafter's ear trying to get him to let go while the dog used all energy to hold on, unable to even hold himself up, and nearly taking Gascard to the ground with his weight alone.

Fighting for his life, Gascard began kicking, trying to get the war dog to let go of his hold, and he struck the dog where his earlier spell had hit. With a whine, the dog released him, collapsing to the ground.

Cat stared, knowing from the anger and hatred on the mage's face that Hafter wouldn't survive another hit. Gascard moved forward, his broken arm hanging limp at his side while lightning gathered in his other palm for the strike.

He choked suddenly, looking down where his own staff blade protruded from his chest.

"That's for my dog," Hawke grit out from behind him, twisting the staff and yanking it back out.

Gascard collapsed on the ground, his mouth moving though no sound emerged, his good hand pawing at his chest in unbelief until he went still.

Only then, did Hawke also fall, though he continued to pant loudly. Cat's eyes closed again as she reveled in the sound before she drifted away.

* * *

Trying to resist the urge to rush through the tunnel, Anders let out another growl at the way Varric and Isabela would stop to check for traps.

"You're not helping," Isabela commented, even as they moved forward.

"I'm trying," he gritted out. "But I feel like we're going to be too late! I know," he added before any of the others could tell him how much longer it would take if they were caught in a trap. "I know we're doing this right, but still!"

"If it helps Blondie, we all feel the same," Varric spoke up. "We're not being as thorough as we normally would."

"Thank the Maker for small mercies," Anders muttered under his breath.

"We will be there soon," Fenris spoke up as Isabela gestured for them to move forward again. "Prepare yourselves."

"It's too quiet," Sebastian added. "If we're dealing with another necromancer, we should have had one of the templars accompany us."

"No," the rest of them answered him in unison.

"I understand your feelings on the subject," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "I just hope we don't regret it."

Seeing the door up ahead, Fenris let Isabela and Varric determine if it was trapped before he had them step back. He had decided he would be the first to enter, being the sturdiest of them all, and having some resistance to magic. Hopefully any attack that came wouldn't kill him.

He listened at the door a moment, and hearing nothing, he stepped back and gave the others a signal. Then he kicked the door in.

Everyone paused, waiting for an attack, and when none came, they moved forward. Fenris took in the state of the room, seeing several bodies lying around. "Check them!" he called, heading over to one he didn't recognize.

"Kitty!"

"Olivia!"

"Hawke!"

He could hear the others calling out to their friends, even as he kept his sword at the ready. Using his foot, he turned the body over, seeing the large hole in its back. He didn't recognize the face, but could tell instantly that he was dead. The look of surprise on its face was intriguing, as was the fact the man had obviously been stabbed with something large through his chest, piercing all the way through.

"NOOOOO!"

The scream of anguish came from Anders, and as Fenris turned, he felt as if his heart stopped beating for a moment or two. He saw Anders on his knees screaming up to the ceiling in pain, the unmistakable blueish-lit cracks in his skin telling that he was losing his control.

Fenris looked, seeing Olivia laying before him, her eyes unseeing as she stared up as well, her light hair fanned around her head in some sort of ethereal halo. He closed his eyes, feeling horrid for the relief he felt that it wasn't Hawke… or Cat.

"Anders… I need you!" Isabela called, and Fenris could see she was torn between staying with Cat or leaving her to get the healer, who obviously didn't hear her.

"He's alive!" Merrill called out, leaning over Hawke's prone form. "But wounded!"

"The hound is alive as well, though barely," Sebastian called.

Fenris looked from one to the other as the announcements calmed him slightly. He watched as Varric made his way to Anders.

"I can barely feel a pulse on the Little dove, Blondie! If you don't help her, she'll die!"

Anders face whipped to the dwarf the screaming stopping suddenly, his eyes completely gone in a sea of blue. "What is one more death?" an other-wordly voice asked in place of his own. "I will have my vengeance!"

"She has been avenged," Fenris said firmly. "The blood mage is dead." The abomination turned to look at him now, and Fenris glared back, gesturing down to the body beside him. "Would you add more victims by grieving now?"

"Fenris…" Merrill said on a gasp.

Fenris watched as the healer shook his head, the blue leaving him suddenly. The face that had been so full of fury was now full of despair and sorrow. "The others still need you," he told Anders, grateful that he was back to himself.

Anders' face crumpled, his shoulders shaking in silent sobs. "Where?" he asked, fighting his emotions and trying to focus.

"Here!" Isabela called. "She's pale and cold, but she's breathing!"

Anders hurried over, and Fenris again sighed in relief. He looked over at the smaller healer's body, regret and shame washing through him, even as gratitude did as well. Then turning, he went over to Merrill and Hawke.

Looking over his friend and leader, he could see that while he was wounded he seemed well enough. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing peacefully, as if simply weary from the day. Fenris kept his ears trained to where Cat was, worried more now for her.

"Get this down her," Anders said. Fenris could feel the magical aura, and knew the healer would do all he could to save their friend. The grieving would come later, and knowing the mage, it would hit hard.

"Fenris?" Hawke asked, and Fenris looked down to see his eyes opened and questioning.

"Hawke," Fenris replied.

"Hawke!" Merrill exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Fenris took that moment to stand and simply observe. Merrill explained what had happened, and how they had found them all, while helping Hawke to sit up, and wrapping a cloak around him.

"Fenris, Merrill," Hawke said, and Fenris refocused from the group nearby to Hawke, his eyebrow up in a questioning look. "Is Cat okay?" he asked.

Fenris glanced over again, seeing Cat's eyes fluttering, even as Isabela helped support her as she stood. "She is alive," he responded. "I do not know the state of her injuries."

"Kitty?!" he heard Isabela exclaim, even as he watched Cat lurching forward on her hands and knees, moving toward the fallen hound.

"Hafter!" she cried out.

* * *

Cat couldn't care less what Issy or Anders were saying, and they wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise. She had to know if Hafter was still alive! She moved as Isabela was adjusting her hold, and while she didn't have the strength to stand, she now felt a surge of energy, enough to move.

She crawled forward, seeing Hafter farther away then she thought, but since she wasn't still tied up, she must have been moved. "Hafter…" she called, reaching out.

She lifted his head, putting it in her lap, and petting him as she started crying again. She didn't see the looks the others were exchanging, and she didn't care. This amazing hound had saved her life.

"I'm so sorry boy," she said softly, leaning down to kiss his head. She stopped suddenly, hearing a soft huff. "Hafter?" she asked, as his tongue lolled out of his mouth.

Hawke turned at her question, and moved quickly at her next words. "He's alive!"

Cat looked up as Hawke ungracefully fell in front of her, his hands moving to Hafter's head, checking him over thoroughly.

"Oh Maker, Hafter, don't scare me like that," he said, even as a tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek.

Cat looked over at him, her heart melting slightly as she saw the love on his face. His hands emitted a glow as he started to heal his hound.

"Hawke, you're in no shape to heal!" Anders said, pulling him back by the shoulder. He gave Hawke's shoulder a squeeze and his voice gentled. "I'll take care of him."

Hawke nodded in gratitude, then turned to look at Cat, and their eyes met.

"You okay?" he asked, and she nodded, even as she continued to pet Hafter. The hound was quickly worn out, and fell asleep in her lap. She looked beside her as Isabela sat next to her.

"Lean on me, Kitty," she said, and Cat nodded again, leaning slightly into her.

Merrill came and sat next to Hawke, giving Cat's head a brush with her hand as she passed.

"I'm sorry," Cat said.

The others glanced around to each other before looking back to her. Fenris, being restless began searching through the room, but staying within earshot.

"You don't have to tell us now Kitty," Isabela said, brushing a hand through her friend's hair, which she knew she enjoyed. "You need to rest."

"I want to," Cat said, looking down at the hound with a smile. "I think it will be more difficult if I wait, and I want you to know."

"He'll live," Anders said with a heavy breath, and shifting from his knees in front of Cat to sit on the other side of Hawke. "But his front leg isn't responding to the healing. He may end up losing it." He turned to Hawke. "I'm so sorry."

"Anders, you're the best healer I've ever met, and I thought Hafter was dead. If he loses a leg, he'll still be a better fighter than most men in Kirkwall," Hawke replied, putting his arm around the other mage. "You're amazing."

Anders looked up at Cat, and she wanted to cry again at the look in his eyes. "Tell me the truth Cat," he said quietly. "If we were earlier, could I have saved her?" he asked.

Cat turned, looking over at where Olivia's body lay, seeing Sebastian using a few of their cloaks to wrap around her. She was glad, knowing she wouldn't be able to do it without breaking down.

"No," she answered turning back to her friend. Her face clouded as she thought of Gascard. "He was planning to kill her anyway, then bring her back using necromancy. He was Quentin's apprentice."

"That's… quite the coincidence…" Varric stated.

"I'm not sure that it was, actually," Cat replied. She looked back at Anders. "Did she say anything about a mage she was seeing?" she asked.

"No…" he answered. "I could tell there was someone, but she refused to speak of him, though I guessed he was a mage since she kept taking more and more missions for the underground." He stopped as he realized what she meant. "That was him?!" he asked.

"Yes," she agreed. "Being alone at the wedding was difficult, because she felt so in love with him, and after having so much to drink…" She hung her head. "I'm so sorry… it's all my fault!"

"How exactly?" Isabela asked, seeing Anders look startled.

"I said something about being with the one you love, no matter what challenges are in your way. Who cared what others may say? If you want to be together, then be together." She sighed. "So Olivia stood up to go. There was no one else around, so I agreed to go so she wouldn't be alone, and because she wanted me to meet him."

"And she brought you here?" Varric asked, looking around. "Didn't that set off any bells, Little dove?"

"It did," she answered. "But she wasn't going to leave, and I wasn't going to leave without her. And I admit, I was curious about this secret man…" She glared down at the ground. "But he was an impostor!"

"He is?!" Anders demanded, moving forward, even as Hawke held him back, his arm still around his shoulders.

"Let's hear it all," he suggested.

Cat hardly looked at her friends as she told the whole story. She explained who Gascard was, and Sebastian confirmed his identity, having met him previously. She told them of his connection to the First Enchanter through Quentin, and even explained about Quentin's research, implying that Gascard had been the source of that information.

Anders corroborated the story, knowing that there was a noble that was helping to hide items that were brought out of the Gallows by the underground.

She played down Gascard's manipulation of Olivia, only saying that he used their relationship to get her on his side, but did tell of his lie about reversing tranquility, to which Anders let out a huge sigh.

"She would have been interested in anyone for that," he said. "It was an obsession for her, as it was her greatest fear. She used to say that she would turn into an abomination before being made tranquil."

Cat nodded, understanding a little more of her friend. "I had assumed he was a blood mage, but the proof came when he had Olivia tie me up. She did it without me realizing, and I could see the blood dripping from his hand when it happened. Then she was rubbing her head as if in pain or confused."

"Sounds like a blood thrall," Merrill explained. "A mage wouldn't be as susceptible, but knowing that they were seeing each other frequently, she would be open to him."

"That's when Hawke crashed in," Cat explained. "Gascard grabbed Olivia like a shield and slit her throat without hesitation. He used her to cast a spell, which struck Hafter as he lunged."

Anders nodded to that, seeing the reason for the hound's injury that wouldn't heal. "I'm surprised he didn't fall then and there," he said.

"He did," Cat explained. "He just laid there conserving his energy until the very end. I thought he was dead." She kept going, telling of scooting along the floor, hearing the fight between Gascard and Hawke as she found both Hafter and then Olivia. She choked as she told of screaming, being unaware of how long she stayed there.

She couldn't tell them much of the fight, as she hadn't truly watched it. So she simply told them of how she found Hawke, wounded and panting.

She said nothing of their conversation to each other, telling only about hearing the fighting as she made her way back to Hafter, seeing the hound jump up at the last second to save her, and Hawke's use of Gascard's staff to end him.

"That's the last thing I remember," she finished, giving Hafter another rub, though she doubted he could feel it, asleep as he was.

The room was silent, as they each processed what they heard. Hawke clearing his throat was like an explosion against the quiet, and they all turned to him.

"You left a pretty big piece out," he admonished her.

She looked at him, shrugging. It wasn't her story to tell after all.

"While I won't go blow by blow, believe me when I say I was going to lose that fight," he stated, getting surprised looks by the others.

"We were evenly matched, but he had blood magic. We countered each others' spells, but it took all our strength to do so. There were several times when we simply didn't fight because we were both spent completely."

"So you stabbed him," Varric surmised.

"Not exactly," Hawke said, looking around. Cat could practically feel his vulnerability, and was sure that he was worried at least a little at how the others would react.

"While my spells wore him out, his blood magic gave him a spell that was damaging me. Internally. It would literally boil my blood inside my veins."

"Ew," Varric commented.

"Indeed," Hawke replied, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "Towards the end, the damage was great enough that I knew he would recuperate before I would, and would kill me easily."

The quiet went long enough that the crew grew agitated. "Then what happened?" Anders asked. "Obviously you weren't killed."

"Cat," Hawke replied. "Du Puis wouldn't let us get close enough for me to free her. So she proposed something else."

They looked back and forth between the two, growing more upset. "Just spit it out!" Isabela growled.

"Blood magic."

Cat wasn't surprised when Anders and Isabela scoffed, that Merrill looked somewhat excited, or that Fenris looked upset.

"I told him to take my energy from me, so he could win," she said. "We were desperate, I know, but please believe me when I say I couldn't think of anything else."

"There is ALWAYS something else Cat!" Anders boomed out, as he realized they weren't joking. "Blood magic is evil!"

"You performed blood magic?" Fenris asked from behind Hawke. Hawke turned his head, looking at him seriously, and nodded.

Cat wasn't sure if it was the honesty or something else, but Fenris merely nodded. "Do you plan to do so again? Become a blood mage?" he asked.

"No."

"Even to save someone's life again?" Fenris asked, and Hawke hesitated.

"Only as a last resort," he said. "But only to save another, never myself." Fenris considered this, and finally nodded.

The exchange wasn't lost on Anders, who looked over at Cat. "You truly asked him to?" he questioned.

"Begged, more like," she replied. "Apparently Gascard had gotten some strange idea that I had information about the city, because of my connection to Hawke." That wasn't true, but she knew Anders would understand what she was saying. "I begged Hawke not to die and leave me with Gascard."

Anders heaved another sigh. "Can we leave this place?" he asked. "I'd like to burn it down."

"That's the best idea I've heard all night," Hawke replied.

* * *

Cat smirked as Isabela insisted on carrying her, but after even a few steps, she realized she needed the help. __There were worse things than a piggy back ride after all,__ she thought.

She did feel bad about making Isabela take her to Hightown, then come back to Lowtown, but she needn't have bothered, as the entire crew followed them to Hawke's estate. She supposed it showed how they felt about him, needing to see him home safely, though she was surprised to see Cullen standing at the front door, several templars around him.

"The Knight Captain had thought that Hawke was involved in the death of the templar Emeric," Fenris said quietly, though they could all hear him. "I told him that if he remained here, we would bring him the one responsible."

"Quite the gamble," Hawke said, being helped along by Merrill.

"I had to leave a proper escort with your mother," Fenris replied, and Cat almost giggled at Hawke's awed look.

Isabela helped her down to stand, staying with her to keep her upright as Fenris and Hawke spoke with the templars. Sebastian joined them, handing over the body of Gascard, along with his staff. The templars quickly gathered the body, and started back to the Gallows.

"Cat? I hope you weren't injured."

Cat lifted her head from Isabela's shoulder, opening her eyes to smile at Cullen. "Only a little, though I will be fine."

"Our little Kitty attracts all the wrong kinds," Isabela said to Cullen and Cat glared at her.

"Uh," Cullen said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just glad you are all right," he said to Cat, ignoring Isabela's comment, as he couldn't think of a good response. "Can I see you home?" he asked her.

"I was going to stay with her tonight, but if you'd like to join us…" Isabela practically purred.

"Issy!" Cat hissed.

"Oh, uh…" Cat could see the blush on his cheeks as he rubbed at his neck again. "As long as you're not alone, that… that is good."

Isabela glanced between the two of them, then thought of Hawke. __Sometimes she needed to push…__ she thought with a sly grin.

"If I might take you up on your offer Captain," she said with a sweet smile. "She is still unsteady on her feet, but I don't think I can carry her further. Would you mind?" she asked innocently, even as Cat gaped at her.

"Issy, Fenris can-"

"Now Kitty, the Captain offered!" she interrupted loudly. "I would hate myself if I caused you further harm by dropping you."

"You must be very strong to have carried her all this way," Cullen said, and Cat turned to glare at him.

"I'm not that heavy," she complained. "I'm not even wearing armor!"

"Then it would be no problem for such a strong man," Isabela cooed. "It would truly put my mind at ease Captain."

"Uh…"

* * *

"Anders," Sebastian said, as he rejoined them. "I have connections that I would like to use to get Olivia a proper funeral. I believe we can even have it at night so that no one else with be in attendance."

Anders looked at him in surprise. "You would do that?" he asked.

"Certainly. Olivia was a kind and gentle soul, and deserves to rest peacefully at the Maker's side."

"Thank you," Anders said, still shocked.

"I can take her, so that the initiates can prepare. Tomorrow evening we can have the pyre."

Anders passed her carefully to Sebastian. "This means so much…" he said emotionally.

"I will have everything ready," Sebastian said, as he took his leave.

"Choir boy can be full of surprises," Varric commented.

"No kidding," Anders replied.

"What's going on over there?" Hawke asked as he and Fenris came back out of the house. They turned to where he was looking, just as the Knight Captain stepped up close to Cat, his arm coming around her back, and she put her arms around his neck, as he lifted her into his arms.

"What the __hell__?!"


	65. Chapter 65- The Aftermath

Previously... Hawke gets upset as Cullen picks up Cat in his arms to cart her off towards home, due to Issy's intervention.

* * *

"Problem, Hawke?" Varric asked slyly.

"It seems there is only an issue of __me__ carrying her, I suppose," Hawke continued, his eyes narrowed and glittering dangerously. Before anyone could comment, Hawke strode off, leaving the others staring after him.

* * *

"Thank you for this, though I still don't think it necessary," Cat said, resigning herself to being carried.

"It is my pleasure," Cullen answered. "And it is the least I can do after what I did."

"Oh?" Isabela asked. "What did you do?" She smirked as they both ignored her.

"So you fought the blood mage as well?" Cullen asked.

"Unfortunately I was the damsel in distress this time, needing to be rescued."

"Ah, so Hawke the hero saves the day again," he commented.

"Jealous?" Isabela asked, only to be ignored again.

"You know, you and Hawke are actually a lot alike," Cat said, and Cullen scoffed.

"Perhaps if I had no discipline, or only cared for money," he said.

"Do me a favor, __Knight Captain,__ and put her down," Hawke snarked as he caught up to them, causing Cullen to turn, almost hitting Isabela with Cat's legs.

"She is hardly fit to walk," Cullen responded, to which Hawke growled.

"And who's fault is that?" he asked snidely.

"Hawke!" Cat gasped out, though unable to do much in her current position. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting my crew," he answered, still glaring at Cullen. "This is the second time in as many weeks that you were injured because of him!"

" _ _What?__ " Cat and Cullen asked simultaneously. Isabela stood back, enjoying the show with a smirk, while Fenris, Anders, Merrill and Varric stood watching from the house.

"None of this would have happened if the templars had done their job!" Hawke ranted to Cullen accusingly. "Your own man came to me about this blood mage because his __superiors__ ignored it. And now what? He's dead, so is Olivia, and Cat, Hafter and I almost died as well!"

"I apologize for your troubles," Cullen replied tightly, and Cat could feel his hand flexing into a fist at her back. "Templars do their best, but we cannot always know where the malificar are hiding. This is a tragedy, but the templars are hardly to blame…"

"Oh?" Hawke asked. "And what about seeing malificar where they __aren't__? Your accusations led Cat into a fight where she barely survived!"

Cullen looked from Hawke to Cat, noticing that she hadn't tried to reprimand his words now, and saw that she was staring at her hands. He didn't quite understand how he had put her in danger, but obviously there was some truth to the words.

"Cullen, put me down," Cat muttered, and surprised, he did so. He held his hands up behind her, worried that she would fall.

"How dare you put this on Cullen?" she seethed to Hawke, but he didn't retreat at all in the face of her anger. "You didn't even take the time to see Emeric yourself, you were so convinced he had nothing!"

"That's not the point," he said in exasperation.

"It doesn't matter!" she yelled, wobbling closer to him. "Cullen is my friend! I won't let anyone speak badly of my friends, even to each other!"

Anders and Fenris glanced at each other in understanding of that statement.

"Your friend?" Hawke asked mockingly. "Since when? I thought he decided you were a mage lover, and couldn't be worth his time any longer!" Hawke smirked as Cullen looked pained, his head hanging down.

"Wha-" Cat spluttered, aghast at Hawke's rudeness.

"Friends accept each other as they are," he countered. " _ _Friends__ don't abandon you when they hear things from others. " Hawke stepped closer and pulled her away from Cullen, and she crashed into him. Looking up, she glared at him.

"Oh?" Cullen shot back. "And you've never done the same? I seem to recall Cat visiting quite often last year because she was avoiding __you…"__

"I don't want you hurt anymore," Hawke said quietly to her, and she was speechless.

Picking her up easily, he turned back to the house. "You still need healing," he groused, ignoring the templar.

Cat, realizing what was happening, tried wriggling to free herself, only to feel as he tightened his hold on her. Knowing when she was beat, she looked back and called out. "Cullen, it appears I need more healing. I will have to see you another time!"

Cullen looked around at the group, also knowing when he was beat. He glanced over as Isabela stepped up beside him. "Sorry about that," she said, though he got the distinct impression she wasn't sorry at all. "Hawke is pretty protective of those he cares about."

"Not unlike Cat," Cullen responded, watching as Cat continued to argue with Hawke, but did little to move from his arms. He sighed, then looked back to Isabela. "I shall take my leave then. Please tell Cat I look forward to having my friend visit again."

Isabela nodded, understanding the meaning he was trying to convey. She smirked as she looked back at her friends, seeing the smiles the others were trying to hide. __That went better than expected…__ she thought.

* * *

"Look I appreciate you looking out for me, but can you put me down now? I don't like being carried," Cat said in aggravation.

"We all do things we don't like," Hawke replied stubbornly. "Get used to it."

"Ugh, you are so… so… frustrating!"

"I'm frustrating?!" He stopped walking to look down at her. "Well you should know, since you're the most frustrating person alive!"

Cat fumed. __How could this man get her so angry in so little time?!__ She took several deep breaths, trying to stay calm.

"You obviously aren't finished being rude this evening," she muttered.

"Oh believe me, I could have been much worse," he replied as he started up the stairs. "And the Knight Captain would have deserved every bit."

"He didn't deserve any of that!" Cat argued, crossing her arms and glaring. "You can hardly hold him to a different standard than yourself!"

"Fine," he said. "He hurts you again, and I'll kill him." He stopped at the landing, and caught her eye roll. He raised his eyebrow, daring her. She gave him another look, and he smirked, as he enjoyed their silent banter.

"I may not know everything yet, but I've caught on to plenty of what you say without words," he said, even as he grinned at her.

"Put me down," she replied.

"Not yet," he answered, and headed for the bedroom. "Since we're already arguing, this won't count as starting a fight, when I yell at you for not getting away from me earlier."

Taking her inside and using his foot to close the door behind him, he stopped and looked at her. She could sense the change in mood, and looked at him in question.

"I… " he began, but had to pause, before he started again.

"I almost killed you."

Cat forgot all her earlier frustration, the pain in his voice melting it away as her heart twisted. "Hey, I'm here. I'm fine."

He set her down to sit, and began pacing. "Obviously I'm overreacting…" he said sarcastically. "You don't even have the energy to walk on your own, while I feel as though I was slightly winded."

"It was a gamble, that's all," she replied. "Yes, I might have died, but it wasn't like we had a lot of choices. Besides," she said as she struggled to stand, "I can walk just fine."

He stepped up, just as her leg buckled, and she ended up with her face planted in his chest again. "Oh, I see…" he said, as he helped lift her straight. "Just fine."

"Please don't be sorry," she said, the corners of her lips upturning. "I'm not."

"It's not just that," Hawke said lowly, looking ashamed.

"What… is it?" she asked tentatively.

"Finishing him off, knowing we were safe, it was an incredible feeling," he started. "Even thinking that Hafter was dead, even knowing Olivia was gone…" He raised his head to look in her eyes, his hand moving to touch her face. "All I could think was… Thank the Maker it wasn't you."

She wasn't shocked… how could she be? She had felt the same way after all. __Who am I in this story anyway? Hawke is essential!__ She looked over at her own hand, seeing her fingers playing across his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles.

She lifted her hand to his face, cupping his cheek. He closed his eyes and let out the breath he was holding. She watched, fascinated as all the tension seemed to leave him.

"Uh…" she started. "You, uh, said something about healing?" she asked with a smile.

He smiled back, and lowered her back to sitting, letting her arms slide through his hands until he had her wrists, and she hissed.

"That's what I thought," he murmured. Kneeling in front of her, he took her right arm in both of his hands, and began casting.

Cat's eyes widened, at the warmth from his magic, like a heated blanket moving over her wrists. True Anders had healed them enough to no longer be bleeding, but they were still raw from the ropes, and were painful to the touch.

She looked at him in awe as he moved to the other wrist, holding up her right arm and studying it. __As if there never were ropes tied around me__ , she thought. __Amazing!__

After everything that had happened that night, Hawke wondered how Cat could still look at him like that, as if he were something precious, instead of something to fear and hate. __Was it any wonder that she had others so wrapped up in her… if this is how she makes them feel?__ he asked himself. "Did Anders heal that slice I gave you?" he asked.

His hand on her thigh had her looking down again, and stiffening as she realized that she was on a bed. __How did I not notice?__ she thought, dismayed.

"Cat?"

She looked up again, and smiled, though it looked more like a grimace. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

"The cut, on your leg?" he asked. "Is it taken care of?"

 _"_ I... have absolutely no idea…"she said, and lifted the fabric out of the way to check.

Hawke was a little surprised at her brazenness, especially considering the last time he caught sight of her legs. His thoughts quickly turned as he saw the large cut, congealed blood keeping it closed, but not healed at all.

The glow was the only warning she had, as his hand moved to her skin, and she gave a small involuntary gasp at the contact.

Hawke glanced up at the sound, seeing her eyes fluttering. __Maker's breath,__ he groaned to himself. __How does Anders do this every day?!__

He stopped once he was satisfied with the healing, catching Cat as she pitched forward slightly. "Cat?" he asked. "You okay?"

The sleepy smile stretched across her face was the only answer he received, but he felt he understood well enough.

"Come on, I'll get you home," he said, standing up.

"Nuh-uh," Cat replied, and he smiled at her almost drunken behavior as he started lifting her up. "Sleep here now."

His smile was gone, and so was she, as he let go in shock, and Cat fell back to the bed, sprawled on her back. He looked at her in confusion, as she… slept. Laughing at himself, for thinking she meant something else, he looked down with a smile. Leaning forward, he put his hands down on either side of her, and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep well," he said softly, covering her with the blankets, extinguishing the lamps, and leaving the room.

* * *

Hawke was surprised to see everyone still there, but he just shrugged it off. "She's sleeping," he announced as he walked down the stairs.

"Is she all right?" Anders asked. "I know she needed some more healing."

"I took care of it," Hawke replied. "That's what took so long."

"Oh," Isabela pouted. "Not what I was expecting when you carried her up to your room."

"No?" he asked with a smirk. "Sorry to disappoint, but we're friends, remember?" He was a little surprised to see them all looking slightly disappointed.

"Well, I guess we can head home then?" Varric asked. "If everything is all right?"

"Yeah," Hawke replied with a smile. "Thank you… all of you, for coming after me."

"The least we could do," Isabela replied. "Next time, think first and just take us with you."

"I will."

"Do you want me to take Cat home?" Fenris asked.

"If you'd like," Hawke replied. "I'm fine with letting her sleep. We have extra rooms, if you'd like to stay close."

"I think I would… thank you."

"Anytime."

He waved Isabela, Varric and Merrill off as they were leaving and told Fenris to take the bedroom he had used before. Then, turning to Anders, he asked him into the study and had him sit before the fire.

He took a seat next to him, uncertain of what to say. True, they still had Cat, but Anders had lost his partner, and friend.

"If you'd prefer not to go back to the clinic yet… you are welcome to stay here," he offered quietly. "And anything you need, please let me know how I can help."

"It's… still a little unreal," Anders replied, staring into the fire. "Like she is just off on a mission. Not… gone."

"I'm so sorry," Hawke said, putting his arm around his friend.

"It helps a little," Anders continued, as if Hawke hadn't spoken, "knowing I couldn't have prevented it, though my mind keeps trying to think of ways. If I had done something different…" He looked despondent, and Hawke wished he knew what to do. "You would think I would be used to it, wouldn't you? Losing everyone, I mean."

"You never get used to it," Hawke replied. "No matter if it is sudden, or if you know it is coming."

Anders looked up then, questioning.

"My sister, Bethany, was killed by darkspawn as we were running from our home," Hawke said, getting lost in his own memories. "And my father died after a lingering illness."

"It seems we are destined for sorrow," Anders commented.

"Perhaps," Hawke replied. "But as my mother told me… if you remember them, then they are never truly gone."

"That… helps. Thank you Hawke."

"No problem," he replied, pulling Anders closer as he started to shake.

* * *

Cat woke, feeling uncertain of what had been her dream, and what had actually happened. Stirring, she realized there was another person cuddled next to her, and she rolled over, assuming it was Isabela.

Seeing Anders under her, had her sitting up rapidly, grateful that he was wearing clothes, though she noted as he stirred, they were both wearing clothes from the previous night.

"Cat?" he asked sleepily, and she smiled down at him.

"Good morning," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Sorry to join you, I just couldn't get to sleep alone…"

"Hey, it's all right. I thought you were Isabela, otherwise I would have let you sleep."

He sat up then, pushing her off of him in a teasing manner. He looked around then focused back on her. "Cat?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you… tell me about Olivia? From the story I mean?" he asked.

"Huh? Why?" she asked, feeling uncertain.

"I can't help but wonder," he said quietly. "You said you changed things for her, and I wondered how she was before? Did we make the right choice, dragging her into our circle? Did she die because of us?" He looked at her imploringly, and she put her hand on her heart as she felt his pain.

"She wasn't in the story long," she said in hushed tones. "A woman in the alienage asked Hawke for help in finding her son, who discovered he had magic. After finding those that had seen him, Hawke found some slavers in Darktown that pointed him toward a ships' captain in the docks that was transporting slaves."

"You mean, she __was__ caught by slavers?" he asked, surprised.

She nodded. "When Hawke's group got there, Feynriel was gone, and there were slavers fighting an abomination."

He looked up sharply at her then.

"After fighting them all, Hawke found a note written to Thrask from his daughter Olivia. That was all they found of her."

"Then, this whole time we've known her…" he said with a small smile, "was extra time?"

"I guess so," Cat replied. "From what I knew any way. I can't be certain, as we all can change our futures, right?"

"True…" he replied. He looked at her, grabbing her hand. "Thank you Cat. I'm glad I had the chance to know her."

"Me too," Cat answered, giving him a hug, until they both heard his stomach rumble and started laughing. "Guess we'd better go see what there is to eat around here."

"I think cleaning up a bit would be better," he said, taking in her dirty, blood-stained dress. "Though I doubt Leandra will want that dress back."

Cat looked down and grimaced before looking back to him. "Not that yours are any better," she said with a smirk. "But I'll have to go home to change."

"Not a worry, we'll just borrow Hawke's."

"Hawke keeps extra clothes in his guest rooms?" she asked with a laugh.

He looked at her shrewdly. "This is Hawke's bedroom, Cat, and yes, he keeps plenty of clothes that he never actually wears. Besides, we'll return them."

"Okay, but if we get into trouble, I'm blaming you."

They spent a while looking through the armoire and closet, offering things to the other to try. Eventually, Anders handed Cat a black tunic, and when she took it, was amazed at how soft it was. She asked for pants as well, and Anders threw some leather pants to her.

"Turn around," she told him, and he complied.

"So Cat," he said. "What's going on with you and Hawke anyway?"

"Huh?" Cat said, tripping over the pant leg and falling onto the bed. "Nothing! Why do you ask?" she asked.

"Nothing?" he asked. "It's pretty obvious to all of us, that it isn't nothing."

"But, it is!" she insisted. "I mean sure, there have been a few almost moments, but that was before, and we're friends now."

"Mm-hmm," he said in total disbelief. "Look, I only ask, because it seems different than your other friends. Yes, you two are friends… but are you sure that that is all there is?"

She finished changing, and rummaging through the drawer, grabbed a tunic for Anders, throwing it at his back. "You want pants too?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Cat, seriously," he said with a frown. "Just tell me the truth, and I'll let it go."

"The truth?" she asked. "We're friends, and that's it."

He looked at her shrewdly. "Because that's the way it is? Or because that's how you want it to be?" he asked. She was quiet for a long time, before she finally answered.

"I can't do it again Anders…" she replied quietly, as she walked past him, keeping her back to him to give him privacy. "No matter how much I may want to."


	66. Chapter 66- A little understanding

**A/N:** So, I've been wrestling with this chapter a bit, and found that getting no sleep was helping because I finally figured out what I hated and got rid of it. The chapter became a lot lighter, and I finally feel like it is going in the direction that I wanted it to.

It's a very small, condensed version, as there is no way to really lay out everything in a relationship, but I wanted to give some examples as to what Cat went through in order to help her better be understood as to why she is so reluctant. It has nothing to do with what she's feeling now, since she knows Issy isn't in the picture. It is truly being scared to go through another relationship like her last.

This is also really personal, and I tried to keep my own baggage out of it... but I didn't always succeed. Hopefully, it's clear (especially because I bounced from quick scene to quick scene) and not too heavy. XD While Cat (and myself) may not mourn the bad relationship being over, it's more mourning the potential of a relationship that never came to fruition, which is much more sad, because it could have been special, but it just wasn't. And can you be strong enough to try again with another friend that is more special than the first?

* * *

"I… think I'm in love with him," Rina said, causing Shanell to look at her in disbelief.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I mean, you've never even dated anyone for this long before, and if you __think__ it's love, then it probably isn't."

Rina thought it over. "Perhaps you have a point," she agreed. "It's just… well, he makes me feel so needed, and treasured. It's really amazing how much time and effort he puts into making this relationship work."

"I get that… I do," Shanell replied. "I just don't see him being… you know, the end game, for you."

"Really?" Rina asked. "Why not?"

"Well, you're just so different! Didn't you say he's always gone? Camping and hunting, or whatever?" Shanell asked. "I thought you hated camping."

"Oh, hate is a strong word, I just have only gone a few times before, with large groups. I think it will be different now," Rina replied optimistically.

Shanell looked skeptical, however. "And if you still don't like it?" she asked. "You're just going to do it, because he does?"

"Maybe," Rina shrugged. "Or, I'll have time to hang out with my girlfriends. The biggest part of a relationship is compromise, Nell. He does for me all the time, and he's extremely supportive of what I want."

"Which is another thing," Shanell complained. "You've been dating for almost a year now, and you still haven't slept together? You need to test drive him you know. What if the sex is awful?"

"It can't be, if you love each other," Rina smiled dreamily.

"Seriously Rina," she snapped to get her friend's attention. "What, are you going to wait until your wedding night? That's crazy!"

"I don't know," Rina replied. "We've done… some things after all, and it's wonderful. I just… want to be sure. I want him to be the only one. What's wrong with that?"

Shanell gave her friend a small smile. "When you're a romantic, nothing. I just… worry, that's all."

"Don't worry about me," Rina grinned. "I'll be just fine."

* * *

"I can't believe how nervous I am!" Rina said to her new husband as they entered their hotel room. "It's not like it's all brand new or anything."

"Uh-huh," he said, not really paying attention. "You hungry, babe?"

"Uh… sure, I guess I could eat," she agreed, wondering if that would make her stomach feel better or worse.

"Okay, I'll order something," he said, heading over to the phone as he removed his suit jacket and tie.

"I'll, uh… freshen up?" she said, noting that there wasn't a response, as she went into the bathroom.

Looking in the mirror, she stared for a few minutes, wondering what she should do. Change? Yes, but into what? She didn't want to eat in her lingerie. She finally decided to put the lingerie on, and wore her robe over it.

Steeling herself, and her nerves, __why am I so nervous?__ Rina opened the door with a smile, and walked out. Her smiled turned into confusion, as she saw Steven relaxed on the bed, watching… __what is that?__ She leaned to get a look at the screen… a basketball game.

"Are we watching t.v.?" she asked, puzzled. She had assumed he'd be wanting to... get busy.

"Well, it'll be a bit before the pizza gets here," he answered without looking away from the screen.

 _ _Pizza?!__ her mind threw up a red flag,then she thought again. __Am I making too big a deal of this? Why spend a bunch of money on food I probably won't eat anyway… I guess.__

Rina sat next to her husband… and finished watching the game, wondering if everyone's wedding night was like this. Perhaps like everything else, movies and books had set her expectations too high.

Rina lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and wondered what she had been so nervous and excited for. Surely, they had done something wrong, because even when they had fooled around before there had been more than this.

"Maybe, we can try that again?" she asked, trying to sound alluring.

Steven glanced over to her, and closed his eyes again. "If you want, in a little while," he said. "Though it might hurt even worse."

"I… don't think I'll mind," she replied. "I think I just need some practice to get my rhythm," she smiled. "Besides, everyone says the second time is better, and can last longer."

He glanced at her again, and with a shrug said, "I got mine."

Rina felt like she had been slapped, the sting of his words adding to her sudden anxiety. __He probably felt offended by my implying that he didn't last long enough,__ she thought. __Crap, how do I fix this?__

She moved closer to cuddle up to him. "I'm fine with just cuddling for awhile any way."

He surprised her again, by sitting up, and looking at her. "That's another thing," he said, and she looked at him questioningly. "I really don't like cuddling."

"What?" she asked, surprised. "But, we cuddle all the time!"

"Yeah, and I hate it," he replied. "I just did that because you liked it, but now that we're married, I don't have to anymore."

"Well… but…" Rina spluttered, "but that's one of my favorite things…"

"So even though I hate it, we have to because __you__ want to?" he asked.

"No, of course not…"

"Good, then that's settled. Good night, my beautiful wife," he said, giving her a kiss, and turning over on his side, facing away from her.

"Good night," she answered woodenly, as she turned off the light. She stared into the sudden darkness of the room, glancing over when she heard his snoring. "This was my honeymoon?" she asked quietly as she willed herself not to cry. "Did I just make a huge mistake?"

* * *

"You should get dressed," Steven said as Rina came to the kitchen in her pajamas.

"I'm going to stay in my p.j.s all day long!" Rina announced with a smile. "I plan to spend most of the day with my new video game."

"We've got that new movie we wanted to see playing at noon," he said.

"What about work?" she asked, confused.

"I called in," he smiled at her. "We haven't gotten much time together lately, and I miss you," he explained.

She smiled, even as she watched her grand plans fly away. "Okay, I can always play later," she said.

"I figured we could go shopping too, didn't you say you wanted to check out that game shop in the next town?" he asked.

Rina felt a little ashamed of herself. Here he was, working to spend time with her, and she was upset that she didn't get to be alone with her video game.

"That sounds fun," she said. "Any other plans I should know about?"

"That will probably give us just enough time to go to the store before the game tonight," he replied.

"Game?" she asked.

"The football game?" he said. "The guys are all coming over to watch?"

Rina watched as her plans to fell back down- to crash and burn. If they were watching the t.v. then she couldn't play her game.

"Steve, that's the entire day," she said gently. "I had some things I wanted to do today too."

"Well, you don't have to," he said in surprise. "I just wanted to spend time with my wife, but that's fine."

Rina sighed. "Of course I want to spend time with you, but I would like to be involved in the planning of my own day."

"Sorry."

"Yeah," she replied with a huge sigh, deciding she didn't want to fight. "I'll get dressed."

* * *

"How you can keep missing, I'll never understand," he told her. "The target is right in front of you."

"I'm trying, really."

"Well, keep practicing. I'll go fish for a bit, so we have something for dinner."

"I think I need a break," she replied, putting the large compound bow down with shaky hands. "My arms feel like jelly."

"Looks like I won't have to clean the game ever again at this rate," he teased.

"I know," she replied. "If you don't catch it, you clean it," she recited his rule. "But this is just too big for me."

"We'll have to find you something else then," he said, shaking his head in disappointment. "Maybe a crossbow or something that doesn't take any effort or skill."

"I'll will get better," she promised. "I'll make you proud."

"We'll see," he replied as he left the camp.

* * *

Rina looked up in surprise as Steven sat down next to her and put his arms around her.

"Hey there, want to cuddle?"

 _ _As if I don't know what that means…__ she thought. "Uh, I'm in the middle of a show," she replied. "Maybe later? Before bed?"

He didn't reply as he started kissing her neck, his hand going under her shirt. She put up with it for a bit, hoping that ignoring him would make him take a hint. Finally, she spoke again, deciding since it was happening, she'd try again to make it worth her while.

"You know, if you did this a little slower," she said as she took his hand to show him.

"Why mess with success?" he said, as he shook her off.

"Well, I'm thinking if you tried this, we could both enjoy it…" she began.

"If you aren't getting off, maybe you should think about what you're doing wrong," he said as he unbuttoned her pants. "I work hard enough," he said and Rina sighed, laying back, and telling herself that the intimacy was bringing them closer, even if sex wasn't what she had always thought it would be.

* * *

"Rina, you're obviously not happy!" Shanell said angrily.

"Life isn't always happy, Shanell," Rina replied. "We're trying, I know it doesn't seem like it, but it's just give and take."

"And when you always give, and he always takes?" she growled.

"Look, I use you to vent, so you only hear the bad things!" Rina explained. "Just the other day, he bought me this, and the week before he made my favorite dinner, and even cleaned the kitchen afterwards."

"Big deal," Shanell griped.

"Look, yeah, it's a work in progress," Rina said. "There are things that I don't like, but that's true for both sides. It takes two people to make or break this marriage, and it's not like I'm the perfect wife either," she said. " I'm always getting angry at him for the littlest things." She looked her friend in the eye.

"I'm horrible at sex, and can't seem to get pregnant to matter what I do. But," she hurried on before she broke down. "I made my bed, so I'm going to sleep in it. I'm not giving up, just because it's hard. I love him, and he loves me."

"I hope you're right about this."

"Our five year anniversary is coming up, and we have a romantic trip planned. You'll see, things will get better," Rina said with a smile.

* * *

"You… invited friends on our vacation?" Rina asked incredulously.

"Yeah, why not?," he replied, continuing to clean his gear.

"How romantic of a trip with that be, with your friends next door?"

"I figure, if they stay with us, it'll only be half the cost," he explained, and Rina rubbed her forehead, trying to stay calm.

"But… it's our anniversary," she said.

"So we'll split up for one night," he said, moving around to put things away. "Trust me, this will be much more fun."

* * *

Rina looked up, wondering what the noise was. She looked over at her phone, as it rang, and she ignored it. She didn't want to speak to anyone, and they probably didn't want to speak to her, not really.

Everyone thought this was such a good thing for her, but how could she feel that way? She had failed, and so miserably too. Steven had simple tastes after all, and she couldn't fit the mold she had thought she would. In her mind, she __knew__ she could be happy, and that she hadn't been, not really, for a long time.

How had they failed so badly? They were friends, and they were both willing… so why couldn't they make it work? There hadn't been cheating… they liked each others' friends and family… so what was it?

She looked at her t.v. as the system loaded her game. __What a life I have now…__ she thought. __Work, play games until I fall asleep, repeat.__

She continued to play Dragon Age, getting lost once again in the mythical world. __If only it were real…__ she thought.

* * *

"So darling, what can I do for you?" her mother asked.

"Nothing mom, I'm fine," Rina said.

"You're in your pajamas at 5:30," she replied.

"I just like being in my pajamas… what?" she asked.

"Don't you think it's time to figure out what to do next?" her mom asked. "You're still young! You could go back to school, or spend more time with your friends. There's a new gym opening up around the corner…"

"I'm fine mom, just leave it alone," she replied, turning and walking into the kitchen. "I'll get there when I get there. I just need to figure out what I want."

"Okay… how can I help you then?"

"You can't mom, but thanks anyway."

* * *

The memories bombarded her one after the other, and it was disconcerting to have them flash so quickly through her mind. Knowing that it had been only seconds didn't stop her from remembering the feeling of not being good enough, the feeling of failing, of having her best friend slowly become someone she hardly recognized.

Once Anders was ready, he and Cat wandered down the stairs. He didn't know what she was thinking, but he felt he had made her sad, and he didn't like to see it.

Grabbing her arm and putting it around his, he gave her a grin and escorted her to the kitchen, where they found Leandra sitting at the table with a pot of tea.

"Good morning!" she greeted them, and they returned the greeting.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, and they both nodded. "Feeling better this morning?" she asked Cat, and she gave another nod and a smile.

"I slept so soundly, it was wonderful," she replied.

"I'm glad you found something to wear," Leandra teased her. "Though I could have given you something a little more fitting."

Cat looked down at the large tunic that she was currently swimming in. "I don't mind, it's very comfortable, though I am very sorry about the state of your dress."

"Now don't you worry about that," Leandra replied with a smile. "I'm just glad you are all right." She glanced at Cat again, looking her up and down. "Perhaps a belt would help, at least a little," she said. "Sit, sit. I'll get Orana started on the food, and see what I can find to help your… attire."

"No need to go to any trouble," Cat said, with a wink to Anders.

"No trouble at all dear," Leandra replied as she left. "Now you two sit and relax."

Anders waited until Leandra was gone before saying softly, "I wonder if Hawke knows how good he has it."

"I'm certain he does," Cat replied. "He's very protective of his mother, after all."

"True," he replied. The sat side by side, and he looked at her again, then reached over for her hand, laying his on hers and giving it a squeeze. "Will you tell me what's wrong?" he asked. "I don't like seeing you sad."

She glanced over and smiled at him, flipping her hand over to hold his. "Old memories, that's all," she said. "I'm not sad, just… melancholy."

"Same thing," he chided her. "Will talking about it help?" he asked.

"I don't know…"

"I'm all ears," he said pulling on his earlobe, and making her smile again.

She looked down at their joined hands. "There was a guy back home," she said. "I had known him for awhile and we became good friends. Then one day, he told me that he wanted more."

"Oh?" Anders asked.

"I was really flattered, but I didn't really feel that way. But he was persistent, and eventually I agreed to go out with him… or uh, let him court me," she corrected, so he could understand what she meant.

"And?" he asked, being true to his word about being all ears, he only spoke to get her to continue.

"After a year of that, we got married," she said. He made a "go on" gesture, and she assumed he had been informed of her "husband" already. "There was a lot of really good things, and I wouldn't be who I am without it, so I can't regret it all. But, after a time, we started changing. We spent more time apart, because we didn't share the same interests, and eventually, we weren't even friends any more.

"I'll always regret that the most," she said. "We even said we would stay friends when we got divorced… or uh, annulled our marriage. But we didn't. I look back now, and I know it was the best thing, for both of us, because we didn't make each other happy. But I still regret the loss of a friend."

Anders' eyes were wide. "And… you can't do that again," he murmured, mostly to himself as he understood now what she had meant. She gave him a tight smile.

"I won't risk it," she said, giving his hand a squeeze this time.

* * *

Outside the door, Hawke stared at the ground. He felt he was finally understanding Cat, though he couldn't say he agreed with her stance. Comments that Isabela had made that night so long ago- when he had ruined things romantically with Cat- were coming back. She had been adamant that he needed to be Cat's friend, and at the time, he had thought that she was telling him to let Cat go. Now, he felt like she had been guiding him in the right direction all along. Now he just needed to decide what to do about it.

He would still grimace at the thought of an official courtship, because he wasn't sure he was ready for that kind of commitment, but what options did that leave?

His hand was still raised to push the door open, though he had stopped when he heard Cat say "married". Now he eased back, moving away several paces, and coming back, stomping his feet a little on purpose to give warning.

"Mother? I'm home!" he called, though not so loud as to give them a thought that he had heard their conversation. He pushed open the door to the kitchen, and saw Cat and Anders sitting together and holding hands. His brow furrowed, but he realized they meant it to be a comfort to each other, and he smiled at them, grateful they had each other to lean on. "So, you two finally woke up then?" he asked.

"And you've probably already been out on a job, haven't you?" Cat asked. "Did you eat? Orana is fixing some food."

"I did, though I won't say no to more," he replied, sitting at the table with them. He eyed them both in thought before realizing that they were wearing his clothes… both of them.

"You look like you're wearing your big brother's tunic, Anders," he teased, then glanced at Cat. "I generally don't share," he flirted. "You should probably give those back, I mean, I don't borrow your clothes." He beamed at the flirty smirk she gave him.

"I am missing a few things," she teased. "Though I thought it was Issy, not you."

Cat chuckled merrily at the mental image of Hawke wearing some of her outfits and he and Anders gave each other a congratulatory look. They worked in tandem throughout the meal, keeping the conversation light and enjoying their success at raising Cat's spirits.


	67. Chapter 67- Following the Qun

It wasn't long before Fenris came back, and he gave Cat's shoulder a squeeze before he sat next to her.

"Any luck?" Hawke asked him.

Fenris shook his head. "He will not see you."

Hawke gave a growl of annoyance, and both Cat and Anders looked at him in question.

"What's this about?" Anders asked.

"A messenger came this morning from the Viscount," Hawke explained. Cat listened, even as she pushed her cup and plate over toward Fenris in case he wanted something. He glanced at her, then down at the plate, and took a berry from her plate, then pushed it back.

"So we agreed, though I tried to reason with him. The boy obviously feels strongly about this, if he went to them again."

Cat was hardly listening, as she was in a silent battle with Fenris, taking a berry and passing it back. It seemed he would only eat if she would, as he didn't like taking her food.

"And the Qunari say the Arishok is busy, and will not see anyone," Fenris commented, causing Cat to pay attention. "Though the guard did say he will be more accepting later in the day, though how true that may be, I cannot say."

"Do you think the Arishok is ever in a good mood?" Hawke asked sarcastically, and Cat chuckled along with the men.

"It's understandable though," Cat added. "He's got a tough job after all." The three of them glanced at her curiously, so she explained. "He's the head of the Qun's military."

Fenris nodded slightly, though Hawke and Anders looked surprised. "He's the head of all their forces, yet he stays here? What in the world could be so important? And how do you know all this?" Hawke asked her.

She wanted to answer him, but she knew he wasn't expecting them to have an answer, to the first question at least. Fenris glanced at her again, and she gave a shrug. "I traveled with a Qunari in Ferelden," she said, and Hawke let it go since he could tell she didn't want to speak of it… for now at least.

Hawke rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. "Well, since we have to wait any way, there was a place I wanted to check out. Now's as good a time as any, I suppose."

"What place?" Cat asked.

"Hmm?" Hawke asked, not answering her question, and thinking it served her right. "Did you want to come?" he asked.

"I want to go help with the funeral this afternoon, but I am free until then," she replied, the mood in the room dropping as they all remembered the previous night.

"Well then," Hawke said. "We'd better get going." He stood up, helping to take the dishes and leftover food into the kitchen to Orana. Cat smiled as he asked how she was, and if his mother was working her too hard. She grinned at Hawke as he teased Orana, and made her flush.

Hawke then called out to Leandra, letting her know they would be leaving. She came rushing down the stairs will several pieces of fabric and leather, hoping to cinch up the extra space in the tunic Cat was wearing.

Knowing his mother's penchant for wanting things to be perfect, he walked over to the pile of cushions they had place near the fire for Hafter to rest and recuperate on. He gave his mabari some attention, and looked him over to ensure he was healing well.

He wasn't surprised that Anders had followed him over, checking on the wound from Hafter's now missing leg. Or that Fenris came over and patted his head. The three of them had performed the surgery themselves, and were all invested in the dog's return to health. Each of them grateful in their own way for Hafter's timely rescue of Cat.

Cat came to join them then, giving Hafter several pats and kisses before standing again. "Are we ready?" she asked.

Hawke eyed her, unsure of what had happened to his tunic, as it now looked like an almost form fitting shirt.

"I tied it," she said, noting his expression, and turning around so they could see the knotted fabric at her back. "The belt wasn't working."

"Well, let's go then," Hawke said, giving a farewell to Leandra, as he put his hand behind Cat to guide her along.

"So Hawke," she said with a sly grin. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll have to wait and see," he said with a smile in return.

* * *

"The Black Emporium?!" Cat squealed, glad that she had suppressed her excitement until Xenon had introduced himself and his shop. "This is amazing!"

The three males just stopped to watch as Cat rushed from the ancient antiquarian, to a gaudy velvet portrait, then to a golem. She giggled as she lifted the lid from a jug, only to receive a chorus of screams, then showed off a statue of what looked like a naked woman while wiggling her eyebrows at them, then rushing off again.

Hawke thought the other two probably were shaking their heads, even as he was, but it was hard not to chuckle at her enthusiasm. He gestured for them to go in and look around, even as he stepped forward to chat with the man who resembled a skeleton.

The shop, and its keeper were quite an interesting pair, and Hawke saw several things that he wanted a closer look at. There were incredibly rare items, though not always expensive. He puzzled over a basket of socks before shrugging and making his way to the next area.

He looked up as he heard Cat's laugh from the other side of the room, even as she called, "You guys have to see this!"

"The mirror…" Xenon wheezed. "It doesn't work properly, but the customers still enjoy it…"

Hawke made his way over slowly. If the thing wasn't working, why rush? He looked through all the shelves and trunks, making his way closer and closer to his friends. When he was close enough, he looked over to see what had them so enthralled, and his mouth dropped open.

There in front of the mirror, were the three of them. But in the reflection of the mirror, it only showed Cat, or at least… the face was Cat's. Everything else was different. The reflection Cat looked like a bawdy tavern wench, clothes and all.

He glanced back at the real Cat, seeing she was still wearing his tunic and pants, then back at the reflective surface to see the low cut dress, and the shorter, bright red hair. He stepped forward, unsure of what was happening.

Cat felt slightly dizzy. She could see that she was the only one reflected on the mirror, and yet, she could still see the others from the reflection, as if her eyes could see from the mirror… it was very strange, and somewhat disconcerting.

She hardly thought this mirror would actually change their appearances, in fact she had been surprised to see it at all. But as she stepped forward and looked at its surface, her face was on another body in the mirror. She soon discovered that waving her hand changed the image, as if the mirror stored the images of those that looked into it, and would then reflect them back onto others. Waving her hand let her cycle through the images, which was totally amazing.

Waving her hand again, she heard the sounds of surprise from the others as the mirror surface became blurry, then refocused. She chuckled, as this time she was a chanty priestess, complete with huge headpiece and all.

She waved again, and again, chuckling at some of the more outlandish outfits or hairstyles. Eventually the others would comment on some of them. "You should never cut your hair like that," or "Now that look suits you," or even, "No. Just no."

She stepped back, and made them all take a turn, and they laughed as they whiled away the time. Eventually, she followed them around as they tried out weapons or accessories, making mental notes about what kinds of things they each liked for future name day or Saturnalia gifts.

Hawke made a small purchase, a recipe for a restorative potion, and they finally decided to take their leave. Xenon ensured they were all aware that it was Hawke that had the invitation, and they would not be allowed without his accompanying them, to which Hawke gave them all a gloat filled smirk.

The sky was turning a lovely shade of pink as the sun began its descent, and the group hurried along in order to make their next engagements in a timely manner.

They bid farewell as they split up, Cat heading to the Chantry, and the men leaving for the docks in the hopes of speaking with the Arishok. Anders, wanting to go with Cat, but knowing he wouldn't be welcome in helping to prepare the body for the funeral rite, decided to help Hawke.

"Don't be late!" Cat called out as they left. "Just don't take no for an answer!"

* * *

Cat was surprised, but then again not. The Chantry initiates insisted that they had everything under control, and as a layman, suggested that she sit and enjoy the chant of light being sung in the cathedral.

Being that she couldn't find Sebastian either, she eventually took a seat in the pews above the apse where the large statue of Andraste was surrounded by lit candles and incense burning.

The hushed tones of voices gave a background murmur, yet Cat basically was alone with her thoughts. She spent the time as she always did when thinking, starting with, __How in the world is all this possible?__ It was still amazing, even after years of being in another place entirely, that she was somehow brought to Thedas, the means still unknown.

Her thoughts then would turn to her beginnings: meeting Zevran, traveling to Fereldan, meeting the Origins crew, and feeling so at home. She wondered what they were doing, and hoped to receive a message from Leliana soon, as she hadn't heard about several of them in some time.

Her thoughts turned to Isabela, and her crew- taking her in and adding to her earlier training. Feeling a kinship and a sense of belonging among the raiders and on the sea, though she knew it wouldn't last forever.

She remembered then, why she was in the chantry- for Olivia- and she began to recount all those that she had known and lost, as a sort of tribute to their influence in her life.

 _ _I am not the same girl that I was,__ she thought. __I don't even call myself by the same name any longer.__ And she thanked those that had helped her, especially Olivia.

True, because of Cat's influence, Olivia lived longer than she may have previously, yet Cat couldn't help but wonder what kind of woman she would have been had she lived longer. She was such a kind person, striving to help others, and so devoted to righting the wrongs of the world.

 _ _I'm sorry, my friend…__ she thought, speaking to Olivia in her own mind. __I don't know what to believe, but I don't think you are just gone forever. I want to believe that I will see you again. And I hope to tell you that I made the world a better place, as you would have.__

Hearing a noise, her eyes flew open, and she glanced around, only to see a Chantry mother walk by quietly. She settled back down, looking around once again for Sebastian, then returning to her quiet contemplation.

 _ _I'm going to need some help here Olivia,__ she thought. __How exactly do I stop Anders from going cray-cray, yet still start the mage uprising? If we don't have the conclave… won't Corypheus succeed in his machinations? Solas won't be strong enough to take his power back at first… or could we even stop Corypheus in the first place? Then what would Solas do?__

She had to stop, it was all so overwhelming. She needed to focus on the here and now, and worry about that other stuff later.

 _ _But if I didn't worry about it beforehand, Leandra would be dead right now,__ she told herself. __And Hawke…__

Her mind took a pretty strong detour this time, as Garrett Hawke bombarded her thoughts. It was far too easy to dwell on them now, as they flitted from moment to moment of her memories of the mage.

It was simple to say that she had never known anyone like him, since he was a mage, but it was true; regardless of the magic he possessed. He had a strong sense of right and wrong, but he didn't care about what laws, or others had to say when he judged something to be good or bad.

He let himself be hurt, over and over, in order to give others a second chance, and Cat constantly marveled at his ability to rise above his emotions in order to make a clear and logical choice. She knew she didn't have that ability, her decisions were purely emotional.

She thought of the way he had encouraged her during her duel with Melnor, the guard. The little ways that he was looking out for her, or how he would be vulnerable in front of her. Or even, letting himself be the brunt of the joke in order to make her smile.

These actions weren't lost on her, they simply confused her. Men had always been quite clear as to what they wanted from her, and she thought Garrett to be the same… at first. Now, he appeared to be keeping his word to her, that he would be a friend, someone she could count on.

At the time, she had thought that that would be the end of that, yet for the last little while, she was feeling as if they were heading for something, and she was merely delaying the inevitable. That thought scared her as much as any other.

 _ _What would happen, if I just gave in? If the inevitable did occur? What would I do when it all went to hell… what would the others do? Would they begin choosing between us? Would I have to leave to keep Hawke's friends around him?__

"Those look like troubling thoughts…"

Cat looked up, grateful for the interruption. A young man that she recognized stood near her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you," he said with a gentle smile. "I almost didn't, but you seemed so upset…"

"Thank you," she replied. "I was overwhelming myself with what ifs again, I fear." She scooted over on the pew. "Would you like to join me Seamus?"

"Thank you," he replied, sitting down, though keeping a respectable distance between them. "I have often found myself overwhelmed, so I can understand the feeling," he told her with another small smile. "Many people have said that they can find peace here," he said as he looked around the giant room. He then turned to face forward. "But if you would prefer not to speak of it, I understand."

"I don't mind that, it is merely that I am trying to find how to have a happy… uh, life, I suppose. Looking to the future and what not," she said in self-depreciation. "I lost a dear friend yesterday," she explained.

"Ah, then I can see why you would think of such things," he replied. "I myself, have struggled for some time now, to find a balance between my happiness, and my duty."

She glanced over at him, as they sat there. "Oh? Have you stopped struggling then?" she asked.

"When you and your friends saved me from those bounty hunters," he stated, "I was so angry. Angry that you hadn't arrived sooner, then perhaps my friend would still be alive. Angry that I was being brought back to a place where I found no acceptance, only orders to change myself to suit others."

"That must have been difficult," Cat replied.

"It was, for a time. But as I examined what I truly wanted, and how I might achieve it, I stumbled onto a very important discovery that changed everything."

"Really?" she asked, looking over again in surprise. "Will you tell me?"

"Of course. The discovery was this. Even if I were to fail, even if everyone reviled against me, even if I died… it was far better than never trying."

Her eyes went wide, though they never left his face.

"It seems simple now, but at the time, it was as if lightning had struck me. I knew, that I needed to pursue what I wanted, no matter the consequences."

"But…" she stammered. "But what about duty?"

"There is a fine line, yes," he conceded. "There are those that lose opportunities or choices because of duties that they have accepted. But for me, I had never chosen those duties, they were thrust upon me. There are many more qualified and respected people that will gladly take them, so why not?" he chuckled softly. "Why not let them?"

Cat could understand why he had compared this thought to lightning… it was as if he had spoken to her soul. Perhaps she had simply needed the reminder, or perhaps she had never truly tried… but energy was coursing through her now, as she thought of what was to come.

"Thank you Seamus," she said, grinning at him. "Thank you so much for sharing that with me."

"It was my pleasure, my lady," he said with a return smile. "I have never known such peace of mind, how can I not share it with one looking so troubled?"

"Serah Dumar?" A sister spoke as she stopped near them. "This way please."

"Ah, well I must go," Seamus said as he stood. "I need to speak with my father. It was a pleasure, Lady Lewis. I hope to speak with you again sometime."

"And I, you," Cat said with a nod of her head. She watched them walk away, thinking how odd it was that he would be taken to see his father by a chantry sister.

Once her mind connected the pieces, she jumped up, calling his name and chasing after them.

* * *

"Why have you come, human?" the Arishok sneered. Unfortunately, Hawke was already on his last nerve, but he struggled to remain calm.

"We are here for the viscount's son," Hawke replied, perhaps more forcefully than necessary.

"The son has made his choice," the Arishok replied smugly, causing Hawke's irritation to flare even further. "You will not interfere."

"Obviously a political maneuver on your part," Hawke retorted.

"Viddithari are part of the Qun," the Arishok said, pointing his finger at Hawke to make a point. "I will protect those of the Qun." He sat back on his throne, looking at Hawke as if determining what information to give away. "He is not even here, he went to see his father."

"Excuse me?!" Hawke demanded.

"Undoubtedly a last ditch effort," the Arishok continued. His sly glance had Hawke's hackles rising. "They are meeting… at the chantry." Then he watched, to see the reaction. "Tell me, why send you and a letter both?"

"i doubt the Viscount would involve the Chantry in personal affairs," Varric said, sensing Hawke was ready to pound someone… or perhaps, set them on fire.

"But we know who would," Hawke said as his eyes narrowed. "Mother Petrice."

"A suspect in many things," the Arishok responded, gaining a modicum of respect for the human, for being honest.

"Let me handle this," Hawke stated.

"I cannot trust this to you," the Arishok shot back. "We will be watching… and threats, will finally be answered."

* * *

"He's going to make things worse," Hawke grumbled. "It isn't my fault the way things are going."

"They stay further back, but they are following," Fenris spoke as he rejoined the group.

"As long as they only observe," Hawke muttered.

"I hope we haven't missed the funeral," Anders said quietly.

"Cat will not let them start without you there," Hawke replied.

"The little dove is at the chantry?" Varric questioned.

"Yes," they answered.

"That girl is like a magnet for trouble," Varric replied.

* * *

"The Viscount's son, killed! Your Qunari masters will finally answer!" Mother Petrice said with a grin.

Varric could practically hear Hawke's teeth grinding, he was so furious. "Why kill him?!" he demanded. "All this will do, is make the people hate __you__!"

"The fear of the Qunari is kept alive, through every sermon, through EVERY prayer. Following this attack, the people will rise! And not zealots, but the majority!" Petrice declared.

"And then they will die! In a war with the Qunari that __you__ started!"

"I hardly started this, Serah Hawke. We have the culprit, and she will die for her crimes."

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Varric muttered.

"Sending your hirelings to do your dirty work didn't seem your style, but the faithful are always prepared to be tested! They needed this chance to defend faith!" Petrice turned towards her followers that came from the shadows to stand around her.

Hawke's heart sank as he saw the people… ordinary citizens, not soldiers. And he would have to hurt them, in order to defend himself.

"These heretics must die!" Petrice called, even as she went up the stairs and away from the fighting.

* * *

Cat glared as Petrice opened the door to the room she was being held in. They were smart enough to search her for weapons, so she was kneeling on the floor, bound and gagged, and weaponless. The search of the room provided nothing, yet she knew she would get out of this… and Petrice would get her comeuppance.

"Come, you will answer to the Grand Cleric now," she stated harshly, and Cat looked at her like she was crazy.

 _ _Did she expect me to confess or something? Or for Ethina to simply take her word for it? Does she know the woman at all?__ she thought.

Seeing this as a golden opportunity, she willingly followed the woman to the Grand Cleric, staying quiet through her explanation, and following them back to the cathedral.

"You see Your Grace?" Petrice asked.

"There is death in every corner," Elthina replied, as she looked around. Cat looked down to her friends, seeing that they were more injured than she expected. She gave Anders a wink, letting him know she was fine. "It is just as you predicted, all too well," Elthina continued.

"She's on to you, Petrice," Hawke smirked, though Cat could see the anger behind the words. "Quick… lie harder."

"Don't spout your Qunari filth here! This is a hand of the Divine!" Cat shook her head at the stupidity of that statement.

"I have ears, and the Maker would have me use them, mother" Elthina chided, looking at Hawke.

"Saemus Dumar was killed, here, in your name," he stated matter of factly.

"I'm sure my name won't like that," Elthina answered, and turned to Petrice.

"The Viscount's son was a Qunari convert, who came to the chantry to repent, and was killed, by this very woman!" Petrice exclaimed, pointing at Cat.

"Cat is here for a funeral, as we would have been earlier, had we not been chasing after your schemes," Anders growled.

"Dumar was lured here by you!" Hawke lashed out. "You couldn't allow his free choice, right or wrong!"

"Qunari deny the Maker!" Petrice practically screamed at them.

Elthina gripped her shoulder, causing Petrice to calm herself, and turn to her leader. "And you diminish him, even as you call his name…" she murmured. "Andraste did not volunteer for the flame after all." She turned to Hawke. "Serah Hawke, you are here for the Viscount?" she asked him, and he nodded. "Please go get him. The young mother has erred in her judgement, and will answer to the courts. The Chantry respects the law, and so must she."

Elthina patted Cat's arm as she passed, continuing up the stairs. "Grand Cleric?" Petrice asked, confused as to what was happening. " _ _Grand Cleric?!"__ she asked again, desperation sounding in her voice this time.

Knowing it was coming, didn't stop the shock of seeing the arrow hit Petrice in the chest. She staggered back, a groan coming from her. A second arrow hit her in the head, and Cat winced as the mother's body crumpled to the ground.

She glanced up, seeing the Qunari warrior with his bow still out. If an arrow had been fitted, it would have been aimed at her, and Cat flinched at the thought, moving quickly down to her friends.

"Please, send for the Viscount," Elthina said as she topped the stairs, and then left the room.

* * *

"What a night, eh little dove?" Varric asked her.

"More exciting than I imagined," she said dryly, looking over at where Hawke was trying to comfort the Viscount, without success.

"I'm glad that we are having funeral rites for Button," Varric said. "But I'm ready to think of something other than death."

"You and me both," she agreed, "but I can't seem to stop myself."

"Little dove?" he asked, looking at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I am," she replied. "Just… if things had been different, that's all," she said.

Varric stood with her a moment, quietly contemplating her words before finding his own. "I think we would deal with whatever comes our way, as we have to," he said gently. "But I for one can only be sad for what we have lost, and grateful for what, and who, we still have."

"Well said," she replied, the corners of her lips turning up. "I let myself dwell on what ifs too often," she explained. "In fact, that's what stopped Seamus to speak with me. He said I seemed troubled."

"Did he help?" Varric asked, curiously.

"Yeah, actually, he did. And he seemed happier than I had ever seen him. It seems he found what he wanted, even though it turned out disastrously."

"That makes me feel better," Varric said with a smirk. "I'm glad the kid found some happy, even if it led to his death."

"Me too," she replied. "It makes me want to be brave enough to do the same."

* * *

Cat watched the fire burn, the tears running down her cheeks, one hand holding Anders' hand and the other Fenris'. She was still mourning, for how could she not be? But somehow through the trials of the day, she found herself more at peace than she expected. Perhaps it was talking to Seamus, perhaps it was speaking to Olivia again, even though it was only in her mind. Or perhaps it was the thought of being brave, and finding some happy, for herself.


	68. Chapter 68- To Catch a Thief

Cat stood with Anders watching as the last of the fire went out. They hadn't wanted to leave until the fire was spent, and so Fenris and Hawke had stayed as well until it was done.

Now, as they were preparing to leave, Hawke went to speak to Sebastian and the Grand Cleric, to thank them for what they had done for his crew.

Cat took the opportunity to study him as he interacted with others, not really certain what she was looking for. She had been thinking about this all night, and had finally come to a conclusion- of sorts.

"Guys?" she asked quietly, and the two standing next to her looked her way. "Do you think that it would be wrong to be involved… uh, romantically? With someone here in Thedas?"

She could practically feel their eyebrows rise up in surprise, but she kept her eyes elsewhere, so she couldn't be totally sure.

"Why would you think it wrong?" Fenris asked.

"I mean, if I don't tell him… you know, about me. Where I'm from… all that."

"You would want to hold a piece of yourself back?" Anders asked. "Don't you feel that would be difficult? Or deceptive even?"

"I guess that's why I'm asking," she said uncomfortably. "After everything that happened with Steven, I thought it would be better to be alone, you know, just my friends, nothing serious again." She glanced up to them, one and then the other.

"But?" they asked in unison, then gave each other a look, that had Cat chuckling.

"But," she conceded with a nod. "I've been feeling… lately… that maybe, I'm ready to try again? Maybe. Possibly."

"You don't sound so sure," Anders teased her with a smile.

"Did you have someone in mind?" Fenris asked seriously.

"I have to approve of him," Anders quickly added. "So definitely not the Knight Captain," he said, to which Fenris said nothing, but Cat thought he may have been wanting to say the same about giving approval.

Cat smiled at them, loving how they were letting her talk about this at her own pace. "It reminds me of before, when we kissed, remember?" she asked Fenris, though they both nodded. "I was feeling confused because Issy was trying to convince me that I was overlooking something great just because you were my friends."

"So…" Anders started, "you think you are doing that, without knowing it?"

"Maybe?" she said uncertainly.

There was a booming laugh, and the three of them turned to the sound, seeing Hawke and Sebastian laughing, while the Grand Cleric didn't look as amused. Fenris and Anders both turned back to Cat, then back to Hawke, the contemplation turning into a smirk on each of their faces.

"What's that look for?" she asked, not liking what was happening.

"Finding out could be as simple as a kiss," Fenris said, the corner of his lips upturned.

"I'm… kind of scared," she admitted.

"He's still going to be your friend," Anders said gently.

"Yeah, I'm more scared about it being the other thing," she muttered. She shrugged a little helplessly at their expressions. "You know, where it leads…"

"It doesn't lead anywhere you don't want it to," Anders replied.

"Hawke would not-" Fenris began, and Cat quickly interrupted because he was getting the wrong idea.

"It's not that…" she said, glancing around quickly. "I… uh…" she didn't want to actually admit it out loud, but, she wanted them to understand, and maybe… just maybe, they could help. Covering her face with her hands as she blushed, she mumbled, "I don't like sex."

While Anders' eyes flew wide open in shock, Fenris' eyes narrowed in suspicion. Both of them came closer, to speak in hushed tones.

 _"_ _ _What do you mean?!"__ Anders hissed. _"_ _ _Seriously?!"__

 _"_ _ _Did something happen? Did someone force you?"__ Fenris demanded, though as gently as he could.

Cat sighed, wondering why she even said anything. "No, nothing like that. I just don't get what the big deal is." Two sets of eyes were narrowed now, as they were beginning to understand.

"Honey," Anders said as he rubbed her arm. "If you're asking that, then that good for nothing husband didn't do his job."

She looked up, skeptical. "Look, I really don't want to talk about this, I just wanted you to understand why I'm so hesitant."

"We understand," Fenris said, cutting Anders off with a look, and Cat's face shone with gratitude. He truly did understand not wanting to speak of things, even if he wanted to wholeheartedly agree with the healer. They would just be there for her if and when she was ready.

"But the point remains," Anders said, still upset with Fenris for cutting him off. "Nothing happens unless __you__ want it to. And if the guy thinks differently, you kick him in the balls until he gets the message."

Cat laughed at that, enjoying the mental of image of a man on the ground yelling, 'I get it, I get the message!'

Hawke decided to join them then, asking, "shall we go? And what's so funny?" he asked Cat.

"Kicking a guy in the balls repeatedly," she replied cheerily.

Hawke gave her a pained look, wondering what had brought that subject up, then just shook his head. __I don't think I want to know…__ he thought.

"Are you certain you want me to stay at your house, Hawke?" Anders asked again, as they exited the chantry. "It could be trouble for you and your mother, you know."

"Not any more trouble than I currently have," Hawke replied. "There is plenty of room, my friend. You are welcome as long as you need."

"Cat?" Anders asked. "Can you stay over again?"

Cat looked at Hawke and saw his nod, so she agreed. "But you have to wear clothes if you're going to share my bed," she warned.

"Is that a general rule?" Fenris asked, watching Hawke's reaction, and was pleased to see a disgruntled look on his face.

"For you and Anders, definitely," Cat replied with a laugh.

"Well then, I had better go get some clothes, I don't want to continue to steal from Hawke," Anders said in a falsely cheery voice, and Cat glanced at him warily.

"Cat will need some as well," Fenris added. "I will go home and fetch them."

"I'll go with you," Cat said, and Fenris just shook his head.

"It is better to travel in pairs, this time of night," he said. "I will go with the… uh, Anders, you stay with Hawke."

Cat looked at them skeptically, and though she could see what they were doing, they both tried to play it off, so she rolled her eyes and let them. After all, they were sticking together, even though they didn't really like each other, and it didn't happen very often.

"All right," she said, with a small shake of her head. "I could use a change of clothes, I suppose, though it didn't seem like Hawke minded sharing."

"You say sharing, but we both know you," Anders teased. "You never give them back."

Hawke raised an eyebrow at her, and she just smiled. "They are the only ones that Issy won't steal," she said by way of explanation. "Because they're too big."

"We'll meet you at the house," Anders said, as the two of them separated from Hawke and Cat, and she gave a little wave, while inwardly she told herself to be brave.

* * *

"You're good for them," Hawke said.

"What, those two?" Cat asked. "I don't know about that. They aren't exactly bosom buddies."

"I… am not sure what that means, exactly…" he said with a glance at her. "But you are a link between them, without which I am sure it would be much worse."

Cat thought back to her game where Fenris called Anders an abomination, and Anders referred to Fenris as savage. "I guess you may be right," she replied.

"Of course I am," he said with a roll of his eyes at her, and she made a noise of disgust.

"Don't get full of yourself," she teased. "It doesn't happen as often as you think it does."

"You wound me," he said dramatically, and she laughed.

"So," he began, changing the subject. "You three looked to be having quite the discussion earlier… I admit I'm curious."

She glanced at him and answered, "you and Sebastian seemed to be having a good time as well."

He nodded, then smirked. "Tell you mine, if you tell me yours?" he offered.

"You first," she countered.

"It's not that amusing I'm afraid," he said. "The Grand Cleric told a joke, I think, and Sebastian was doing that false laugh that he does when he doesn't think it is funny-"

"Oh the one everyone does when you tell a joke?" she added, "Ha-ha, ha-ha!" she laughed so badly it was obviously fake.

Hawke narrowed his gaze at her in mock offense. "Something like that, yeah…" he muttered. "Anyway, so then Seb keeps up with that awful laugh, which of course made me actually laugh… and so on, and so on…" he drawled. "The worst part is, I can't even remember the joke!"

Cat chuckled along at the absurdity of the whole situation.

"Your turn," Hawke reminded her.

"Oh, it was nothing much," she replied. "I just asked their opinions on relationships."

Hawke glanced at her, his eyebrow winged up. "One in particular, or in general?"

"General. I mean, most of the time, it can seem like too much trouble, but it can be nice too."

"Too much trouble?" he asked pointedly.

"Well, I mean, inevitably you fight. That's not fun. Doing things you don't like to, because they insist… or having people judge you because they think you aren't good enough for the other person."

"Wow… uh, that's just… wow."

"What?" she asked, brow furrowed.

"It just makes me wonder what your past relationships have been like, if you're thinking like that."

"Oh… well, so… wait. Yours aren't like that?"

"Uh, no not really," he shrugged. "But then again, I haven't exactly had anything you could call, 'long term'."

"What would you call it then?," she asked pointedly.

"So what did those two have to say?" he asked, dodging the question.

"That I should give it a chance," she answered with a smirk, letting him off the hook. "Though they did say they had to approve of whoever it was."

"Oh?" he asked. "So friends have a vote in this?"

"Well, no," she said with a smile. "But ultimately, if they don't like the person, there's bound to be a reason, I suppose, and no, being a templar doesn't count."

"Hmm," he said with a smirk.

"It is tough though," she continued. "I was friends with Steven for a while, and he's the one who decided he wanted more than that." She wrinkled her nose in a look of distaste. "I have no idea where to even start the whole… process." She looked at him hopefully.

"I may technically be noble now, but I don't have a clue about courting rituals," he replied with a shrug.

She looked at him, thinking, and told herself, __brave! Be brave!__ He gave her a questioning look in return, and she steeled herself with a deep breath. "Can I ask you something personal?" she asked.

"I suppose," he said slowly, a little wary of where this would go.

"When a man shows interest… what can I say if I want to pursue something, but don't want to just jump to the bedroom? And don't want to upset him?"

He smirked at her again, stopping her as they had reached his home. He pulled her aside, wanting to keep whatever this was private.

She was flushed, but he had to admit he enjoyed her embarrassment more than he should have. It seemed to happen all too often around him. "You think there is something you can say so a man won't be upset when he finds out you won't sleep with him?" he said with a small smile.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to keep calm, though she could feel her face burning. She rubbed a hand over her face. "I'm not saying it right…" she muttered.

He stepped closer, and she had to tilt her head slightly to look at him. His voice was soft and low, and she bit her lip to keep from saying anything else. He watched as she swallowed nervously, and then nodded. "It's hard to say," he answered. "Everyone is different, there isn't just one right answer."

"So," she said, choosing her words carefully. "If it were you? Wouldn't there have been a right answer back then?" she asked, her eyes darting in every direction, unable to stay focused on him.

He reached up and took her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I don't know," he said. "Would there have been a right answer?"

" _ _Back then__?" she whispered. " _ _I don't know…__ " Her heart was racing again, but this time, she couldn't focus on anything but his eyes on hers.

" _ _What about now__?" he asked, whispering in return, his face mere inches from hers. His hand on her face was the only place he was touching her, and when he heard her breath catch, and saw her shiver, he barely held his smug smirk back. "Cold?" he asked.

He stepped back only enough to shift to her side, and pulled her towards the door to his home. "Let's go in," he suggested. "I want to continue this conversation."

Cat let herself be pulled along, wondering what he meant by that.

* * *

She wasn't aware of much as they walked in, but the noise quickly snapped her out of it, and she side stepped away from Hawke.

"Get off your high horse! I have problems too!"

"Oh really? Like what? Who's the father?"

"WHY YOU LITTLE!"

"Ladies, ladies!" Hawke bellowed, sounding royally pissed. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded of Aveline and Isabela as they stood arguing in his front room. They both turned to speak to him.

"Hawke, I need your help," Aveline started quickly, stepping forward. "The Arishok is harboring two fugitives that have __converted__ to the Qun. He's already feared because of Petrice's death. If people start thinking he can ignore the law… I need your help to keep this from getting out of hand."

Hawke glanced over at Cat, then sighed and closed his eyes.

"I'm going to die!"

He opened his eyes, looking at Isabela in question.

"There… got your attention?" she asked him. " _ _Real__ problems."

Aveline gave a disgusted noise, but she let Isabela speak.

"Remember the relic?" Isabela asked.

"How can I ever forget?" Hawke snarked.

"Well, I found it." A noise from Cat had her pausing before she continued. "A man called Wall Eyed Sam has it. If you help me get it back, Castillon won't kill me." Isabela glanced over at Cat in apology, then looked at Hawke. " _ _Please,__ Hawke."

"Are you serious?!" Aveline demanded. "I'm trying to keep the entire city from rioting against the Qunari!"

Isabela started pacing around the room, watching as Cat moved toward the fireplace to pet Hafter. She was confused as to why she was so quiet, but needed to focus on the task at hand. "Well… maybe it's connected," she finally said.

"What." Aveline's tone was flat, her eyes narrowed on Isabela. Hawke was glancing back and forth between the two, unsure of what was going on, but thinking it was some sort of power struggle.

"All I'm saying is," Isabela added, "maybe it'll help. It's important to __someone,__ right?"

"NOW, you're being responsible?!" Aveline said with wide eyes. She rubbed her face, as she took in Isabela and Cat, hoping that she wasn't reading too much into all this. She looked over at Hawke. "I need you in the morning Hawke," she said tersely. "we'll go see the Arishok."

"Very well," Hawke replied with a nod. "If you can stay, I'd like to get this relic business taken care of." He turned to Isabela. "Do you know where Wall Eyed Sam is now?" he asked her.

"I know where he'll be at midnight," she replied. "He's trying to sell off the book to the Tevinters before he gets killed over it."

"A book?" Hawke asked shrewdly. "I thought you didn't know what the relic was?"

"Okay, so I wasn't entirely forthcoming," Isabela backpedaled. "I knew it was a book, but that's all. What does it matter anyhow?" she asked tersely. "We need to get it, end of story."

"I'm going," Cat announced.

"Not a chance," Isabela replied. She glared at Cat, and Hawke looked back and forth between them, noting that Cat wasn't backing down. Isabela's eyes turned hard, and he noted that Cat looked mutinous, but eventually Isabela won out.

He thought he was getting better, but was nowhere near understanding them as yet.

"I need you to stay here, Cat," Hawke said, and she turned her angry glare on him, while Isabela looked like he had just given her a gift… or booze.

"Why?!" she demanded.

He turned to her, willing to explain… this time. "I need someone to stay with mother," he replied. "And to send Anders and Fenris after us once they get here. That's you."

Cat didn't look happy, but as she contemplated the idea, she accepted it. "Very well," she replied finally.

"Good," Hawke answered with a nod. "Where are we headed?" he asked Isabela.

"Lowtown," she replied.

"Then we'll go now, and pick up Merrill and Varric on the way," Hawke said. "I'll grab my staff." He moved past them to the stairs, and Cat waited until he was out of earshot before whirling on Isabela.

" _ _Two things Issy,"__ she said quietly to her friend, ensuring Aveline couldn't hear. Isabela looked at her warily. " _ _One, the Qunari will never leave this city without their property."__

 _"_ _ _And two?"__ Isabela asked in a whisper.

 _"_ _ _Please come back,"__ Cat murmured as Hawke returned, walking down the stairs towards them.

Isabela was surprised, that was true. __How does she know something that I haven't told any one?!__ she thought. Her hand moved over the paper in her pocket, wondering yet again if taking the relic back to Castillon alone was truly the right decision. __I have to,__ she told herself. __I can't let my past come to hurt them.__ She glanced over at Cat, as Hawke brushed past her to the door.

"Goodbye Kitty," she said quietly, and turned to follow him out.

* * *

 _ _I am not cut out for this,__ Cat told herself yet again. __This waiting at home business sucks.__

She continued to pet Hafter, the house feeling too quiet, since Leandra and the others were asleep. __Someone needs to be here, and protect them,__ she thought again, reminding herself why she couldn't just go.

Sending Anders and Fenris off without going was even worse, but she did her part, and stepped outside to speak to them, giving the condensed version of what was going on. She had given it some thought, and decided not to explain about the relic and everything.

When she told them that Isabela knew where the relic was, and Hawke was headed for a fight with Tevinters in Lowtown- Fenris was already leaving, with Anders scrambling to catch up before she finished. She gave them a general direction, and warned them to be on the lookout for Qunari as well, and they were gone, and she was back to waiting.

For a time, she focused on Hafter, helping him to sit up, and start getting used to the feeling of using only one leg in the front. He sat up as long as he could, resting as needed, then trying again. She could see that he didn't like being on bed rest any more than the other warriors.

Eventually, she fell asleep, though in front of the fireplace, as she refused to leave the front room until they came back.

She was awakened by loud noises, and shook off her weariness enough to look up as the room filled with her friends around her. She glanced from face to face, and her own fell as she didn't see Isabela among them.

"Tell me the truth."

Her attention swiveled to Hawke, who was angry, she could tell from the demand, but there was something else in his eyes that she couldn't quite place.

"What truth would you like?" she asked.

* * *

Hawke took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. His anger, he knew had boiled over when he read Isabela's note, and he had realized that almost all of the problems he had been dealing with for the past year could have been avoided. If his people had just __told him__.

He looked at Cat, inwardly pleading that she wasn't involved with all this relic nonsense. After all, why would Isabela keep her in the dark if it were otherwise?

"Did you know what the relic was?" he asked bluntly.

"Yes," she replied, almost instantly. His eyes closed, the wound hitting a little harder than the previous one from Isabela. __They used us…__ he thought. __Until they could get what they wanted.__

"Why?" he asked, painfully, looking her in the eye. Her head tilted slightly, and the confusion on her face made him snarl. "Why bother with this charade? You could have simply paid us to find the relic, and saved yourselves the trouble of all this deception."

He snarled again to himself at the hurt look she wore. __How dare she?!__ he thought. __She has no reason to act hurt, when she is one who betrayed us!__

"I suppose I deserve that," she responded, looking around at the others. "But that was our decision, to keep the truth about the relic from everyone. Our friendships have nothing to do with that."

"FRIENDS don't keep the truth from each other!" Hawke protested. Realizing how loud he was, and glancing up the stairs, he lowered his voice.

"Hawke-" Several of the others started.

"No!" he cut them off with a wave. "You __used__ all of us," he ground out through gritted teeth, pointing at her, as he stepped forward. "Causing danger and chaos throughout the city, affecting countless innocent people because of the Qunari that __you brought here!__ And for what?! To protect yourselves from some __raider?!__ "

He knew he had gone too far, as Cat's head snapped up, and a snarl was on her own face, but he didn't care. "Is that what you think?!" she retorted, looking from him, to the others, most of whom looked uncomfortable. "Can you blame her?" she asked, and Hawke frowned.

"Castillon will destroy everything and everyone she cares about, leaving her alive, if she doesn't bring him that book," Cat said tightly. "Do I need to spell it out for you? It's not HER life that she's protecting!"

"We could have protected you both if you would have let us!" Hawke countered. "The Qunari would have been gone, and we would have had ample time to have a plan against Castillon… but not now." He glared at her again. "What else are you keeping from me? _"_

Cat glared right back, then sighed, letting go of the anger. "Nothing," she said.

He stared at her a moment, before shaking his head. "If only I could believe that." He pushed past her, heading towards the stairs. "I'm going to bed," he announced to the room. "Stay if you like, we head to the Arishok as soon as we can get an audience tomorrow."

He glanced back, seeing the others following him further into the room. He noted how sad Cat looked, but thought that she had only brought it on herself.

* * *

Cat walked home, Anders by her side. Fenris offered to accompany her as well, but she knew Hawke needed the support, especially with the Arishok. She didn't want to be alone, but she didn't want to take him from Hawke either.

Honestly, she really wanted Issy, but that wasn't going to happen. And, with all the grief that Anders was still dealing with, he needed her just as much as she needed a friend right now.

"So… you're pretty quiet," Anders said as they walked into her house. He had let her brood the whole way home, but now he wanted her to get it all out.

"Yeah, sorry I am not good company right now," she replied. "Do you need anything?" she asked as they passed by the doorway heading toward the kitchen.

"No, just getting some sleep would be good," he answered. "And maybe some talking?" he asked.

She nodded as they headed up the stairs. As she thought about it, perhaps it was better that she confided in Anders, rather than Issy. She wanted to explain to someone why she didn't tell them all about the relic, and she knew Issy would be uncomfortable.

They wasted no time getting ready for bed, and she smiled as they climbed in, her in the tunic she had acquired from Hawke, and Anders in the pants he had taken as well. "You were right," she said. "Hawke isn't getting this back." She gestured towards the shirt.

He grinned back at her, "I may just agree with you this time. These are better than any pants I currently own, after all. But that's what makes me want to return them too," he said as he laid down, staring at the ceiling.

"What, like they are too good for you?" she chided him, mimicking his pose. "He's got a whole wardrobe full, remember?"

He nodded, and they lay there for a few minutes, just enjoying the company. "So," he finally spoke, "I'm curious how things went after the elf and I left you earlier. You know, before all the relic craziness."

"Fairly well, though I believe this has only proven that we are not going to be able to make things work."

He glanced over, "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"I can't be honest with him Anders," she replied. "And he knows I've already kept things from him."

"Wouldn't it make things better if you told him everything then?" he asked.

"I don't think so," she replied. "You know Hawke, he's got such a desire to make things better, to do the right thing. What do you think he would do if he found out that I know a lot more than I'm telling?"

Anders pondered that thought for a bit. "I'm not sure, but I'd guess he'd want to fix things."

"I think so too," she replied. "But the consequences could be just as dire." She reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Just look at what happened to Olivia," she said softly.

"Hey, we already agreed it was a good thing that things ended differently for her," he replied, turning to look her in the eye. "Right?"

"Yes, we did," she agreed. "And I don't regret that, at all. But looking at the big picture… We hunted the necromancer because eventually Leandra would have been one of his victims."

"Really?" he asked. "I'm glad we stopped him then."

"Yes, but because of that, Gascard, his apprentice took drastic measures to find and continue his work. The Gascard I knew of wasn't a killer, and look how he ended up because he was desperate."

"That's hardly your fault," he pointed out. "He chose to go that route."

"I know… it's just… a lot, thinking of… everything," she finished lamely.

"I can understand that," he said. "Even knowing little things you have told us was extremely stressful. What if I messed something up?"

"Exactly!" she agreed, nodding. "I know you and Fenris both wonder what I know," she said. "And sometimes you wish I would tell you."

"Sometimes," he conceded. "But it isn't always a good idea to know what is coming. The smallest change can have a huge impact."

"Very true," she replied. "Sometimes… Hawke reminds me of Duran."

He frowned as he thought about that, and nodded. "I can see that," he finally replied. "The leader trying to make things right for all his people, being shoved into a place of prominence. Always doing the right thing, even when it kills them."

She smiled wryly. "Yes, like that." She paused again, but decided Anders wouldn't share her thoughts with anyone. "Sometimes, it feels as though they keep me around for my knowledge. I know that's horrible to say."

He frowned again, thinking it over. "I can see how you may think that," he said. "But I know the commander too, and he doesn't suffer anyone he doesn't like just because they may be useful." He gave her hand a squeeze then. "Your friends like you for you. Your knowledge is just a perk, you know," he said with a chuckle. "If someone is hurt, my friends will ask me to help," he reasoned. "And in certain situations, they will ask you to help."

"I can see that," she said as she nodded along. "Thanks Anders."

"No problem," he said as he gave her a wink. "We're your friends, Cat. If we're pushing too much, just let us know. We don't want you to feel like you're being used."

"I guess you're right," she said sheepishly. "I feel a little silly for thinking that way."

"Nobody is perfect," he replied with a smile. "Not even Hawke or the commander."

"He was really upset," Cat said sadly. "I didn't know what to say."

"You could have said that Isabela insisted," he muttered.

"And put all the blame on her?" she asked, with a glance at him. "No, I knew, and said nothing, though not because of being afraid of Castillon."

"Oh?" he asked. "then why?"

"Sometimes bad things happen," she shrugged. "But are the best things for us in the long run. They help make us stronger."

"You did say something a while back about needing to be stronger," he said slowly.

"Yeah," she muttered. "We'd better get some sleep. We'll need it for tomorrow."

He squeezed her hand again, getting her attention. "Cat, do me a favor?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied.

"Don't close yourself off. You never know what can happen if you're open to the possibilities."

* * *

Cat wasn't surprised that it seemed to be late afternoon by the time she woke up. They had gotten to bed right before sunrise after all. She smiled at Anders' sprawled figure on the bed, and eased herself out so as not to awaken him.

It was another hour before Anders made his way downstairs, looking for food. She smiled at his bedhead, and announced they would have to get food in the market, since they hadn't bought anything in awhile.

Heading out, they argued good naturedly about where the best food was, and conceding to him though stipulating that the Hanged Man was not an option, they made their way to Lowtown.

Cat glanced over, seeing another small group of Qunari pass by.

"There seem to be a lot of Qunari out in the city today," Anders commented, and Cat took him by surprise, pushing him into an alleyway. "Cat?!-" he started, before she covered his mouth with her hand.

"Shh," she said quietly. "Just listen, okay?" she looked at him as he nodded, and she dropped her hand. Glancing out around the corner of the alley, she began speaking quickly. "This is bad," she said quietly, her eyes on the lookout for the Qunari. "I think they are getting into position."

"Position for what?" he asked, getting close so that he could see what she was looking at.

"See them?" she asked, and he focused where she was pointing. "There, and there. And we passed three separate groups on the way here, heading into Hightown."

"We did?" he asked. "What are they doing?"

"They're going to take over the city," she said matter-of-factly.

" _ _What?!"__ he hissed at her.

"They are spreading out throughout the city in small groups so they don't cause panic. And then they will attack all at once, taking the city without much trouble." She looked around again. "I guess Hawke wasn't successful in his talks with the Arishok."

"We need to find Hawke," Anders said firmly. "He'll need us."

"Yes, he will," she agreed. "But there's something we need to do first."

* * *

Cat had Anders leading the way, pushing Leandra and Orana at a fast pace. "I'm sorry, I'm slowing you all down," Leandra huffed, as she stopped for breath again.

"In here," Anders said, leading them into an alcove filled with shadows. The sunset filled the sky with bright pink and purple colors, but none of them looked up to appreciate it.

"Don't worry mistress, we won't leave you behind," Orana said softly, and Leandra smiled at her.

"I'll be all right, it's just been awhile since I ran for my life," she quipped, and Cat chuckled.

"Let us know when you are ready," she told Leandra. "I think once we get out of Hightown we can slow a little."

The older woman took a few deep breaths, and nodded to Cat. "Let's go."

Cat nodded to Anders who looked around yet again, and led the party out, with Cat taking the rear. She moved her eyes constantly, keeping watch for any that would impede them.

Moving swiftly, they made it to the large stairs, where Hightown changed to Lowtown. Anders moved back to offer Leandra his arm, and Cat and Orana moved behind them. They started down as they heard the first screams behind them, causing them all to flinch.

"It's begun," Orana said, shivering.

"Let's keep moving, and get you both to safety," Cat said, her eyes meeting Anders'. Nodding to each other, they moved down the stairs rapidly, and started on a winding path towards the Hanged Man.

"Where are we going?" Leandra asked quietly as they stopped for another break. Cat and Anders blocked the women from view in the alley as they kept a look out.

"We're taking you to Varric's," Cat answered. "The Qunari will only bother with the nobles at first, and hopefully we can meet up with Garrett and stop all of this before it reaches the tavern."

"It's the safest place we can think of," Anders said. "And a sort of unofficial meeting place for Hawke's crew. The Qunari will never be looking for a noble there, and the patrons will help keep you from being noticed," he added.

"No one expects nobles there," Cat said with a smirk. "Hawke is able to keep a pretty low profile." She looked back at the other women. "We'll leave soon, just hold tight," she said, then inched closer to Anders. _"_ _ _They're everywhere,"__ she whispered to him.

" _ _I know,__ " he replied softly, not wanting to worry the other two. _"_ _ _And unlike Hightown, here they are just destroying everything in their path."__

 _"_ _ _You're not going to like this…"__ she warned.

 _"_ _ _If you try to tell me you are going to be the decoy…"__ he grumbled, turning to her with narrowed eyes.

 _"_ _ _It's the only way,"__ she insisted. _"_ _ _I can lose them easily, and meet back up with you. Besides, they won't want me."__

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't see any other option." He turned her to face him, putting his hands on her shoulders in order to get her to look him in the eyes. "You're faster than I am, so it makes more sense, but Maker's breath, if you die on me…" he stopped and she could see the panic in his eyes.

"Not going to happen," she reassured him. "No contact, just going to run to get their attention, and let you slip out behind them."

"You're what?!" Leandra said, having heard the last part of their conversation since they hadn't whispered. "There has to be another way!"

"Shh!" Anders and Cat shushed her, and looked out in worry, releasing a sigh when nothing happened.

"We can't make it if she doesn't," Anders said softly. "She's very adept, there won't be a problem."

"Right," Cat agreed, then moved her cloak to show her daggers on her thighs. "And I have these just in case." She looked at the women, nodding to them. "Keep close to Anders, he can protect you," she told them. "I'll meet you at the tavern." They nodded in return, and Cat moved to the mouth of the alley, looking around. "Actually," she said to Anders, "Can you give me a boost?"

She pointed up to the roof tops, and he smiled at her, happy that she would be that much further from harm. He held out his hands, clasped together, and she put her foot on them, jumping as he flung his hands up- giving her a boost onto the roof. They watched as she climbed up and over, and was quickly out of sight.

It wasn't long before they heard the noises, and several Qunari passed the alley. Holding out his hand, Anders gestured for them to follow, and he sped off with them further into Lowtown.

* * *

Cat cursed her rotten luck. Not only had her little diversion worked, but it had worked far too well. Now she had several Qunari chasing her, and using their numbers to trap her. It was as if they had her scent or something, as she couldn't seem to lose them.

She did what any friend would, and took them far from the others. She was practically back to Hightown, and she raced forward, knowing there was a large gap between the roofs of the two towns. She would have to make it through there before the Qunari in order to stand a chance of escape.

Sliding down a column, she ran with everything she had. Her saving grace was that the Qunari weren't trying to kill her, they were trying to catch her. She slid several times on the ground like a professional baseball player to avoid being caught, and after seeing one fo them almost snatch her hair, she held her braid close.

She could see her way out up ahead, a staircase leading to Hightown that had several fancy pillars that she could easily climb. She pushed forward, focused on her goal.

She didn't know what flattened her, just that she was on the ground, being pushed into the stones so hard that she thought her spine might crack.

The pressure released, and she moved, trying to get up again, and the pressure returned, and she groaned at the pain. When it released again, she flipped over, hoping to avoid it the third time if she could see what it was.

The pressure fell on her again, and stole the breath from her lungs as it massively pushed on her body. She moaned as she moved her head to the side, spitting out the blood in her mouth, as the Saarebas came towards her.

She heard a few guttural words spoken, and the qunari mage stopped his advance, and her eyes closed.

* * *

She wanted to open her eyes, but she was having such a hard time getting them to respond to the demands of her thoughts. She focused on her other senses, trying to get a clear picture of where she was and what was happening.

Her head was swimming, and her body jarred, causing her head to move up, then down again hitting against something hard. She involuntarily groaned, the dizzy sensation becoming pain.

As she was able to focus, she realized that it wasn't her head that was swimming… it was her body that was moving. She finally cracked her eyes open, seeing the large gray body in front of her, with her leg up in the air.

 _ _I'm being dragged off, like some hunter's game!__ She thought, insulted at the very thought. Taking quick stock of herself, she smirked at their overconfidence, having left her armed. __Bad move…__ she thought angrily.

Grabbing her dagger, she waited for the right moment, and swung her upper body up, and sliced the Qunari's hand that held her. He immediately dropped her leg with a yelp, and turning, sneered at her, his companions turning as well.

She didn't understand all their words, but enough to know they thought her entertaining. She rolled away to avoid being snatched again, and got to her feet. She was still slightly dizzy, but she pulled her other dagger out and got into a fighting stance.

Cat knew exactly three Qunari phrases by heart. One, was spoken by the Iron Bull after fighting a dragon. The second, was more for making friends with a qunari. But the third… would do nicely in this situation.

"Kadanshok defransdim vashedan!" she shouted, as she beckoned them forward. The one whose hand she had cut sneered at her, while the other two smirked. __Definitely finding me entertaining,__ she thought. __Especially telling them I'm going to wound their genitals with my foot.__

Three against one wasn't her favorite fight, but she knew how to fight dirty, and they thought she was simply a woman who couldn't fight. After killing the first of them and kicking him in the crotch on the way, they started using more of their actual strength, and Cat started to worry.

By the time she drove her daggers into the second one, she knew she was in trouble. She barely moved fast enough to avoid the swing of a great sword, but let go of her daggers in order to move. Now she faced the third, much more angry Qunari, and she was without her weapons.

She employed all her acrobatic skill to avoid his lunges, and the reach of his sword. Due to its weight, so was able to avoid his swings, but because of his reach, she couldn't get close to him in order to do any damage with the small knife in her boot.

She left it there for now, wanting to keep the element of surprise in case she needed it. Moving forward, she slid between his legs as he swung his sword forward again, and jumped up on his back. With no plan in place, she was trying to choke him with her arm, and she could hear him laugh at the attempt.

She looked up just in time to see the sword coming back at her, and she let go, falling to the ground. He barely stopped himself from cutting his own back, and she rolled away again to keep her distance.

"The Arishok has questions for you, thief," the qunari growled at her, and her face paled as she realized what he said.

 _ _How do they know who I am?!__ she thought desperately. __Crap! I need to get away from him!__

Her hesitation cost her, however, as he moved quickly, dropping his sword and grabbing at her. He caught her leg and pulled her forward, his other hand wrapping around her throat as she kicked and thrashed around.

"You fight as one who knows their fate," he sneered. She glared up at him, going still, not willing to give him the satisfaction, and she reached for her boot. As close as she was now, she should be able to do plenty of damage.

Before she could strike, she heard the twang of a bow, and just as suddenly, the qunari had an arrow protruding from his eye. She felt the blood splatter on her face, and she squirmed, as the big man began to fall, the arrow going so deep as to kill him instantly.

His hand was still grabbing her, and she fell with him, grateful that he broke her fall, and she pried open his hand to free herself, taking a few deep breaths as soon as she was free.

"Can you stand?"

Cat looked up, seeing the hand in front of her, and focusing on the man attached to it. He was most definitely a fighter, the bow across his shoulders not the only indication. He fit the description of tall, dark and handsome and she found herself a little in awe. She nodded, and said, "I just need a minute."

The man smiled gently at her, and her heart did a little flip at the gesture. "Take what time you need my lady," he said, his voice deep and gravelly. "Between the two of us, I believe we have cleared the block."

She reached up and took his hand, and stood, noting that he stayed close in case she wobbled. She nodded, and moved over to the second body to retrieve her daggers. "I should thank you, for saving me, I suppose," she said, as she wiped them off and put them back in their sheaths.

"You don't need to," he replied with a smirk. "In fact, I could have helped sooner but was enjoying the show."

She smirked back, enjoying his humor, as it reminded her of Zevran. "I _knew_ I wanted to meet you, Nathaniel."


	69. Chapter 69- The Grey Wardens

A/N: Thank you all for your follows and comments! I really appreciate them! Happy Holidays!

Previously:

"I should thank you, for saving me, I suppose," she said, as she wiped them off and put them back in their sheaths.

"You don't need to," he replied with a smirk. "In fact, I could have helped sooner but was enjoying the show."

She smirked back, enjoying his humor, as it reminded her of Zevran. "I knew I wanted to meet you, Nathaniel."

* * *

Cat watched as the surprise, then suspicion, a bit of unease, and finally acceptance crossed the man's features. Then, true to his style as a rogue, he smirked at her, and gave a flourishing bow.

"You __must__ be Catarina," he replied. "I've heard so much about you."

"Good things, I hope?" she asked with a smile, searching for something to wipe her face with.

Nathaniel stepped forward, using his canteen to wet a bit of cloth, and proceeded to hold her face as he wiped the blood from it. She could feel her cheeks getting hot as he looked over her face once he was done. "They hardly did you justice," he finally replied, releasing her.

She knew she was blushing now, and enjoyed watching as his serious expression split into a smirk. She knew she would be trying to make that happen at every opportunity. "Just… uh," she cleared her throat. "Just call me Cat," she offered, and he nodded, the serious expression back. "And what do you prefer?" she asked. "Nate?"

She grinned as the smirk returned. "Pet names already? Very well," he said. "Nate it is, but just for you."

He looked around, and moving quickly, searched the bodies for anything worthwhile. "I'm hoping to impose on you further, Cat," he said, coming back to her. "I've been separated from my group, and can only sense them faintly. I hope you know this part of the city? I would prefer to avoid more confrontation if I can help it."

"Gladly," she replied. "Though I would like to get home and grab my armor first, if that's all right?" she asked.

He nodded, "Wise decision," he said, taking in her tunic, pants, and cloak. "I'm afraid you don't pass as a man anyway."

"Oh, I wasn't trying to."

"No?" he asked, with an eyebrow quirked up.

"It's just more comfortable," she replied with a smile. "This way, it isn't far."

She led the way toward her home, grateful that he had no problem scaling to the roof tops, and even more amazed at how quietly he moved. A few times, she even lost sight of him.

Getting into her home was easy enough, and there was still enough light that she didn't need to light a candle to see.

"You are quite the master of stealth," she said quietly, making her way to the kitchen.

"It is one of my skills," he answered modestly, looking around. "You keep your armor in the kitchen?" he asked in confusion as he saw where their destination was.

"No, but I've traveled with Grey Wardens before," she replied, pulling out several items from the cupboards. "Eat whatever you like, I'll go change and be right back."

He smiled genuinely at her, and gave a nod. "My thanks, Cat."

"Any time," she replied, heading quickly up the stairs.

She stayed quiet, and dressed in the ever decreasing light, but she knew her way around enough that it wasn't a hindrance to her goal. She didn't dawdle, but didn't hurry either, thinking that the more time she gave the Qunari, the fewer of them they should encounter on the streets.

Finally dressed, she armed herself with several more daggers, including adding her shoulder holsters with her extra large blades. __I can hardly call these daggers,__ she thought as she put them in the sheaths. __More like sickles.__

Making her way downstairs, she went back to the kitchen, noting that Nathaniel wasn't where she had left him, and grabbed a small bag for her belt, filling it with a few things that might be needed. Next she grabbed a water bag, and slung it over her shoulder, cross-body to keep it in place.

She turned to leave to look for him, when she noticed him leaning against the doorway watching her.

"Ready?" she asked. "Did you get enough to eat?"

"Plenty, and thank you again," he replied. "I know they are in an easterly direction, though that is all I can sense."

"As far as I know, they should be, or soon will be, in Lowtown."

He fiddled with something on his belt, though he glanced up at her from under his lashes. "I doubt I will ever get used to that," he said seriously. "But I suppose it could come in handy now and then."

"I suppose," she replied, looking uneasy.

He stepped forward then, searching her face as Fenris always did, and she wondered if she was clearly showing her emotions as Fenris constantly claimed.

"Don't tell me anything you don't want to," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'd hate to depend on your word for everything I do," he added with a small smirk.

She chuckled quietly. "Thank you," she said. "It's not that I am keeping secrets, just that I truly don't know everything."

"Good, you'd be a pain in my ass if you knew __everything__." He smirked at her again, and began walking toward the stairs. "Going out the way we came in?" he asked, stopping and looking back.

"Probably best," she replied. "Though we'll have to go back to ground to get to Lowtown."

"Very well, lead on," he said, and she walked past him to do just that.

Moving quietly through the streets was something she was used to. Moving quietly through the streets with a handsome man at her back, who gave her flirty smirks, was something she had dealt with before.

However, this was different. Nate was a gentleman, in every sense of the word, coming from his heritage as a nobleman's son. But, he was also a rogue, and while his duty came first, Cat could tell that he hadn't closed himself off to having fun.

The main difference, for her, was that Nate knew about her. Knew, and didn't really care. He didn't ask for insight, he didn't question her motives, or her knowledge. He just accepted what she gave, and that was it. She found it incredibly freeing, in a way that- except for Zevran- she had never been able to be before. Even when with Zevran, there were always others around. Here she was able to be… completely herself. And she loved it.

Moving into Lowtown, they were both much more wary, sensing the enemies around them in greater numbers. They moved slowly, peeking around corners before moving on.

Suddenly he grabbed her, spinning her into an alleyway and pressing against her, his hand over her mouth to cover her gasp of surprise. They were both silent, focused on the street around the corner. Nathaniel kept close, focusing on his stealth ability to keep them concealed.

Cat could hear the talking, and recognized the guttural words of the Qunari language. Both of them stiffened slightly as the talking became so loud that they knew the speakers were near enough to see them if they looked closely.

Hidden by shadow, both from the alley and from Nathaniel, they waited, and waited for the warriors to move on. Even as the talking moved away from them, they still waited. Once she could no longer hear anything, Cat turned her head, to look at Nate.

He was still focusing, but she could tell that he was tired. Holding a cloak of shadows around them was draining his energy, and he had held it much longer than she had seen Isabela ever do. She raised her hand, touching his hand that was on her face to let him know it was safe.

His eyes opened, and quickly darted around. He didn't move otherwise, and she could feel the shadows lifting from around them. It wasn't until he deemed it safe that they fell away completely, and his hand moved from over her mouth, to her cheek.

"I apologize," he murmured lowly.

She smirked at him in response, which had his brow raising in question. "I think perhaps it is safe now," she teased him quietly, as he still had her pressed up against the wall. Funny… she didn't seem to mind too much.

"I think you may be right," he replied quietly. "But we should stay like this awhile longer just in case," he teased her back, with a wiggle of his eyebrows, and she was a little surprised at his jovial attitude.

 _ _Wasn't this the man that was always serious?__ she thought. __Strange that no one seems to be exactly as expected.__ She had no doubt that he was often serious, perhaps even dour at times. After all Alistair always wrote about him that way. __Though in contrast to Al, almost anyone could be described that way…__ she thought.

"We'd better move on," she finally said, and he immediately moved, taking her hand to help her straighten up. She smiled in thanks, thinking that she could be in serious trouble with him. He was practically perfect. "Let's go," she said, stopping to look around, before heading out of the alley.

"Right behind you," he said in her ear, and she shivered. Glancing back over her shoulder, she came face to face with a smirking Nathaniel Howe… and she smirked right back.

* * *

"I sense someone Constable."

"How many times do I have to say it?!" the Constable of the Grey complained. "Alistair, my name is Alistair. It's easy, see? Al-i-stair…"

"Of course sir," the warden recruit replied, snapping a salute. To which Alistair sighed.

"Why they are insisting on this strange sense of protocol…" he grumbled.

"It's Nathaniel," Carver grumbled to him. "Finally."

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked, looking back over his shoulder.

Carver shrugged. "Who else would it be with the taint?" he replied.

Alistair rolled his eyes. "That's why we stay vigilant, Carver," he explained again. "Because one day it could be someone else."

But Alistair didn't worry, because he knew. He could tell the difference having worked closely with the man for so long, like… recognizing someone's smell. He crinkled his nose in disgust at his own metaphor.

He walked over to head Nathaniel off, he was moving slowly enough. He stood in an intimidating pose, ready to tell him off for wandering off like that. "There you are," he said, as soon as he caught glimpse of him. "We've been-" he stopped short as he saw the other person next to him.

"Cat!" Carver said, almost happily.

"Al!" Cat cheered, ignoring Carver as she ran for Alistair. She stopped suddenly as several wardens blocked her way, looking menacing.

"No, no, she's a friend," Alistair griped, pushing them aside. He opened his arms wide, and she jumped in them with a whoop.

"Oh, I've missed you," she said, hugging him tightly around the neck. "Letters just aren't the same!"

"I've missed you too, you've only gotten prettier," he said as he lowered her back to the ground, and she grinned at him.

"And so have you," she teased. "Must have all the female wardens in a tizzy."

She heard a couple of coughs around her, and Alistair went red in the face. She chuckled, then stretched up to kiss his cheek. "I'm only teasing you."

He cleared his throat, then turned to the others. "Set a perimeter," he ordered. "We need to deliberate."

Cat's brow went up in question, but Al's hand went up slightly in warning, so she waited, until it was just the three of them, Al, Nate, and her.

"I see you've met Nathaniel, as you wanted," he said with a smile.

"Greeted me as if we've known each other for years," Nathaniel added.

"Well, you were one of my favorite characters in the story, how could I not want to meet you?" she asked.

"Well then, my lady, I hope I've met all your… expectations."

She smiled. "Oh, exceeded them, definitely."

"On a more serious note," Alistair interrupted, looking from one to the other, not sure what exactly was going on, just certain he wanted it to stop. "Cat, can you tell us what's going on here? We got here just in time for a war it seems."

"Well…" she began, telling them only the pertinent information, it would have been much too long otherwise. "But, I wouldn't worry too much," she concluded quietly. "Hawke will stop the Qunari."

Alistair and Nathaniel glanced at each other with a nod. "That's good to hear," Nathaniel said.

"Indeed," Alistair agreed. "We shouldn't interfere, but I couldn't just leave the city to be invaded. Many innocent people would have suffered."

"So why are you here?" Cat asked. "Scouting mission?" she guessed.

"A bit," Alistair conceded. "Though mostly, I was hoping to find you."

"Me?" she asked, then looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry that it's so turbulent right now, I would have liked to have had time to visit and catch up."

Alistair and Nathaniel glanced at each other again, and Cat looked between them. "What is it?" she asked.

"From the reports we've been getting Cat," Alistair said quietly, "this city will only get more turbulent, not less. No matter how many good men like Hawke are here, this city is a dangerous place to be."

"You think I don't know that?" she asked, confused.

"We do," Nathaniel took over. "But, rather than stay here, and perhaps have something happen to you, the commander wanted us to offer to take you back to Ferelden. With us."

"It's a sound idea, Cat." Alistair chimed back in. "We can keep you safe, give you whatever you may need. You can see your friends again," he offered, trying to convince her.

"And what of my friends here?" she asked with a frown. "I can't just leave them."

"Constable!" came the shout, and they all turned toward it, weapons suddenly at the ready.

"Fall back!" Alistair called, "form ranks!" He glanced over at Nathaniel, looking pointedly at Cat, and Nathaniel grabbed her arm, taking her with him.

"No, Nate!" she called, as she was drug away from the fighting that broke out. "I don't have a bow, I need to be in melee range!"

They got to the stairs as the Qunari warriors broke through their ranks, and ran into the courtyard they were grouped in. The Wardens quickly regrouped, the warriors in the front, with the archers getting to any higher ground they could find. Cat watched as several dagger wielders moved quickly from target to target slashing vital points.

She moved away from Nathaniel, to join the fracas, when a fireball splashed at the bottom of the stairs, and he pulled her out of the way.

"Stay up here!" he yelled above the din. She shook her head, moving to jump down another way. "Just wait!" he yelled again, pointing.

She followed his direction, looking where he pointed, only to see Hawke and crew coming to the rescue. She grinned widely, and waited as Hawke let loose another spell, a ball of energy exploding near the ground and sending several qunari flying.

The lightning rained down next, and Cat was surprised to see several wardens falling victim to it. She turned to glare at Hawke for his carelessness, only to see him flinging ice spells at another qunari.

Looking around, she found the Saarebas, and yelled to Nathaniel. "Nate! Qunari mage! We gotta take him down quickly!" and with that, she slid down the stone railing, jumping over a warrior, and running with all haste toward the Saarebas on the other side of the courtyard.

She looked frantically around, but didn't see any other way up to the platform where he was, but going straight up the stairs was to face the mage directly, and that was idiotic. She saw Fenris fighting on her left, and she made a beeline for him, just as he struck the qunari he was facing.

Fenrisl!" she yelled. "I need a lift!" she pointed to her destination, and he looked quickly, then dropped his sword and bent his knees with his hands together. Wasting no time, she jumped as she reached him, steadying herself with her hands on his shoulders, and he tossed her up with all his strength.

 _ _Flying…__ was her thought before she landed with a roll, and came up next to the Saarebas. Moving like a whirlwind, she changed direction constantly, jumping, sliding, going left, then left, then right… anything to keep him off guard.

She could practically hear Nathaniel cursing her, as he wouldn't get a decent shot off while she was there, but she didn't care. She wanted to contribute this time. She __needed__ to show Alistair... and Hawke. She couldn't bear being sent away again for her safety. She could take care of herself.

A spell appeared, and it became harder and harder for her to move. She knew any moment it would explode, and she would be flung far away. She could hear the yelling, yet everything was calm… and slow.

She took a deep breath, knowing she just needed one good hit, knowing she could beat the spell. She gave her all, pushing forward with all her strength, jumping up, and coming down with her daggers poised.

And then she fell, rolling on the ground, the saarebas beneath her. __I did it! s__ he crowed to herself.

She was grabbed, and hugged fiercely, then shaken. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" the voice chided her.

She was hugged again, and realized it was Alistair as he enveloped her. "You had my heart ready to jump from my chest," he complained. She looked up, seeing Fenris looking at her in question, with his sword at the ready, while several of the others finished off the remaining Qunari.

She shook her head at Fenris, and patted Alistair's arm to get him up. As she sat, she could see Hawke checking on his crew, and Nathaniel striding over towards them.

"Very impressive Cat," he said when he reached them. "I must say from what I was told of you, I wasn't expecting you to fight. I almost took an axe to the face because I was watching you."

"I can easily relate Nate," she replied with a wink.

Alistair practically choked on hearing her use the nickname. "What did I miss?" he muttered.

Cat pushed on his shoulder, "Let me up now, please," she said quietly. Alistair moved back, and Nathaniel offered his hand to help her stand. She looked from the Wardens behind her, to where Hawke and her friends stood in front of her, looking at her in question. She moved away, standing between the now separated groups of people.

"Guys," she said, looking from one group to the other. "I want you to meet some friends of mine."

* * *

Alistair preferred to let others take charge, but he wasn't slow. By the way this group of people were glaring, Cat had to be keeping her relationship with the Wardens a secret. He had decided as much when Carver Hawke had not known of their connection, but he had assumed she would have said something by now. But… it appeared that he was wrong.

"We meet again," he said, ending the awkward silence. "My name is Alistair, and this is my fellow Grey Warden, Nathaniel." He stepped forward to greet the others, who still looked at them warily. "I understand you are Carver's brother?" he asked Hawke, holding out his hand to shake.

Hawke stepped forward, shaking the pleasant man's hand. The darker one looked suspicious as hell, but they both seemed to know Cat, and be protective of her, so he supposed they couldn't be all bad. "I am. I didn't get a chance to thank you for taking him in."

"We're still undecided on that," Nathaniel muttered, and Carver glared at him.

"Nate," Cat warned teasingly, rolling her eyes, causing the archer to wink at her.

 _ _And… scratch that.__ Hawke decided he didn't like the man at all. "It seems that you are acquainted with our Cat as well," he said.

"Ah, yes," Alistair replied. "Cat ran right into my arms one day, and she's been a friend ever since." He smiled at Cat at the memory. "I wish we had better timing," he looked around, seeing his wardens had bandaged the wounded, and were about ready to leave. "I would enjoy sharing stories, but I'm afraid duty comes first."

"Doesn't it always," Hawke muttered in reply, and Alistair gave a small, understanding smile.

He turned to Cat then, and asked, "So, Cat? Are you coming with us then? Or staying here?"

"What?!" Several of Hawke's crew said in surprise, and Cat looked over, biting her lip. Part of her would have loved to go… to see Duran again, to be safe and secure with the Wardens. But…

"What is this?" Hawke demanded.

"The commander invited __our__ Cat back to Ferelden," Nathaniel answered, looking over at her. "They have a lot of history, and can take her to see her friends there." He turned to her now, and asked. "What do you think Cat? It would be fun to travel together."

She gave him a smile that had Hawke gritting his teeth. He asked himself why he should even care, told himself to let her go, and good riddance.

"No."

Cat and her two Warden friends looked over at him. "What was that?" Alistair asked.

"I said, No," Hawke replied. Cat couldn't decide whether to laugh, or be moved at the way the others' faces lit up at Hawke declaration, and stood firmly beside him. "Cat is part of our crew, and she belongs with us."

Nathaniel glanced at him, then down at Cat. "It isn't that simple I'm afraid," he said, and Hawke practically snarled at him. "Can you protect her from all the Qunari? From the Arishok?"

"Why would we need to?" Fenris asked.

"I came upon Cat in the streets, being dragged away by Qunari-"

"Shut up Nate," Cat hissed at him, giving his arm a punch.

"They need to know what they are getting into," he said to her mildly, and turned back to the group. "They spoke of the Arishok wanting a word with her. In my experience, that isn't a good thing."

"I can take care of myself," Cat said angrily.

"Of that I am aware, and enjoy watching," Nathaniel replied softly. "But," his tone rose, "everyone needs help at some point. Even you cannot take on hundreds of warriors at once." He glanced back to Hawke, surprised to see such animosity on his face. "By taking her with us, it may help diffuse the situation."

"I hate to do this," Alistair chimed in. "But we need a decision, because we have to go."

"She stays."

Cat glanced back at Hawke again at his words, then turned to Alistair and Nathaniel. "I guess I'm staying then," she said. "Thank you for the offer, and please tell Duran that I would love to come and visit at another time, but now really isn't convenient."

"Are you certain?" Nathaniel asked.

"She said she's staying didn't she?!" Anders yelled, then hid behind Aveline so as not to be spotted.

"As if I couldn't sense him the entire time, the fool," Nathaniel groused to Cat, who chuckled. She reached up, giving him a hug, which surprised and delighted him. She then turned to Alistair, giving him a long hug as well.

"Don't be a stranger, okay?" she asked.

"I'll try," he replied with a smile. Turning, he made his way to Hawke, saying a few words before Hawke nodded and they shook hands. "Wardens!" Alistair called. "Let's move out!"

In just a minute, the courtyard was clear of everyone but Hawke and his crew, and Cat couldn't help but feel like it was empty.

Fenris stepped forward to her. "You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "I just miss him already."

"Ugh, Cat, how can you even count Nathaniel as a friend?" Anders complained.

"Hey, just because you got on his bad side…"

"He only has bad sides," Anders griped.

"You're crazy," she replied. "Nate is so considerate, and sweet."

"I agree with Anders," Hawke chimed in.

"He definitely looked suspicious," Fenris added.

"Oh, and you three are ones to talk?" she asked, pointing at them. "You're the epitome of-"

She broke off as Hawke had thrown his arms around her. She froze, uncertain of what was happening.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"Uh, for what?"

He hesitated, then responded. "Anders told me that you got my mother out of the house. I have never been so relieved, than I was at that moment." He let her go, standing straight. "It seems all the other nobles were taken to the Keep."

"Yeah, that's usually the way the Qunari operate," Cat said, stepping back. "We should be heading there ourselves."

"Is…" Hawke hesitated again, and Cat frowned, wondering what was going on with him. "Is there any way to convince you to stay at the Hanged Man as well?" he asked.

"None whatsoever," she replied.

He looked in her eyes, seeing the determination there. "Very well," he replied. "But don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself."

"Got it."

Hawke turned back, speaking to the entire group. "All right everyone, we're going to head straight for the Keep. If we need to defend ourselves, we'll stop, otherwise just keep moving. The more time we waste on the warriors, the longer the Arishok has of causing trouble."

He waited until they all nodded, then he stepped out in front. "Let's go," he said, leading the way.

Cat glanced back to where the Wardens had left them, then refocused on the task at hand as the group ran out of Lowtown.


	70. Chapter 70- Demands of the Qun

Cat wasn't the only one on lookout. The entire crew had just gotten through a fight with a Sten, his warriors, and a bunch of elves that were supporters of the Qun. She hadn't enjoyed fighting with the elves, and had used the hilts of her daggers whenever possible to simply knock them out. She couldn't blame them for siding with people that they thought cared for and valued them.

Knowing firsthand the strength and constitution of the qunari warriors, Hawke's crew walked carefully, and quietly up the stairs into Hightown, looking all around them for any that may hinder their progress.

Varric stopped near a tree, and gestured to his right, causing the rest of the crew to stop and peer over, spotting the three qunari that were standing nearby.

"We can't avoid them," Hawke muttered. Varric was the first to react, using his rhyming triplet while they had the element of surprise, and one of the warriors fell over with three bolts stuck close together in his chest.

"Vashedan!" The others shouted. "Vinek Kathas!" Cat puzzled for a moment, wondering why they were shouting about killing them, seeing that they were outnumbered, and were easily defeated. She had just remembered the Saraabas that would be here when a spell knocked the entire crew off their feet.

She looked up, her vision still slightly blurred, seeing the large qunari mage striding forward, lightning magic swelling in both of his palms. She looked around, seeing the others trying to get up, and she moved forward to block them as best she could.

The magic in his hands disappeared suddenly, and the mage looked confused for a single moment before the large blade burst from his chest. Cat watched as an armored woman pulled back her sword, and swinging widely, decapitated the mage in one smooth stroke.

Her sense of wonder vanished quickly, as the mage's body fell directly at her. She moved, barely missing being squished, but the large amounts of blood fountaining from the corpse doused her.

"You have got to be kidding me," she said in disgust, wiping her face, and looking down, her arms outstretched from her body. It wasn't like she was soaked in it, but felt like she had just had a bucket of paint thrown at her.

"Catarina," the blonde woman said, her eyes lit with dark amusement at her discomfort.

"Meredith," Cat replied in the same tone, and Meredith glared at her lack of respect.

"Address me properly, or not at all," the older woman snapped, and then turned away. Cat had been through this several times with Meredith. There were times speaking with the Knight Commander was unavoidable when visiting with Cullen, and the templar leader would simply ignore what she deemed annoying or unworthy of her time- of which Cast was constantly considered both.

"I am Knight Commander Meredith," she introduced herself to Hawke, as she put away her sword. She put out her hand, offering it to him, and Hawke grabbed it as she pulled him up to stand.

"Garrett Hawke, though most simply call me Hawke," he replied, rifling through his pockets and throwing a folded piece of fabric at Cat, that she snagged before it hit her face. She looked at it, and then him in question, and he smirked. "You have a little something, right here," he said pointing at his cheek.

She chuckled, and dabbed at the small spot, turning to Anders. "Did I get it?" she asked, and the group laughed at the one now clean spot on her face.

"Let me help," Anders offered, pulling out his small water skein.

"The name Hawke has been in my reports many times," Meredith said, curiously looking at Hawke. "Too many, in fact."

Aveline stepped forward, drawing her attention. "It's good you came Knight Commander. The Qunari are-"

"It's obvious what they are doing," Meredith interrupted dismissively. "They are gathering in the keep, and may already be in control."

"We'll help where we can," Hawke said confidently, and Meredith appraised him again.

"Very well. I will… overlook, your own use of magic… for the moment." She moved aside, and started walking away. "I will gather more of my men. These creatures must be made an example of."

Without waiting for a response, she continued striding away, and Hawke watched until she was out of sight. He then turned back to Cat. "You seem familiar with the templar leader," he said, his voice asking for details.

"Ugh, yeah," she replied, standing still as Anders had finally grabbed the cloth from her, and was wiping her face, since she had merely smeared it around. "I met her when I was visiting Cullen. She's disliked me from the first moment."

"Now how is that possible, little dove?" Varric asked with a laugh. "You're so loveable, after all."

"I know!" Cat agreed vehemently, and the others chuckled.

"She is rather stern," Aveline said diplomatically. "But her first inclination is to protect the people, which I can support."

"Dragon lady," Cat muttered, before Anders passed the cloth over her face again. She opened her eyes again, seeing them all looking at her with varying degrees of concern. "Sorry," she said with a sigh. "But the dislike is mutual."

"Why?" Hawke asked curiously.

"Mostly attitude," Cat answered, taking the fabric from Anders, folding it and putting it in her own pocket so she could wash it. "The need to be in control, in addition to the natural arrogance of a leader."

"Wait, what?" Hawke asked, taken by surprise. "Did you just call me arrogant?" he asked with a frown.

"Of course," she replied, looking around, and seeing everyone ready. "Should we continue?"

"You think I'm arrogant?" Hawke asked again, planting his feet and crossing his arms with a scowl on his face.

"Do you think you aren't?" Cat asked, confused, and Hawke spluttered. "Every leader is, to an extent, they have to be."

"Because they are in charge?" Varric suggested with a smirk, enjoying Hawke's squirming.

"Basically," Cat replied, looking over at the dwarf. "Giving orders, expecting them to be obeyed without question. Assessing situations in a moment, making the difficult decisions, and being able to live with the consequences. Not everyone can do it, and the successful ones are successful because of their confidence in their abilities, aka arrogance."

"A-k-a?" Varric asked.

"Oh… uh, also known as," Cat replied. "It's abbreviated."

"Uh huh," he replied.

"Well, now that that is all explained, perhaps we get back to the task at hand?" Fenris asked drolly.

"Please," Cat muttered.

"Let's go," Hawke said, then turned to Cat with a smirk. "If that's okay?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes.

* * *

Cat glanced back, seeing the stoic expressions on both the Knight Commander and the Grand Enchanter. Hawke had enjoyed his little joke, but as soon as those two started squabbling, he stated that he was going to the keep, and if they wanted to come, they would defer to him.

She smiled again as she faced forward. She had seen Grand Enchanter Orsino before, but had never met or spoken directly to him, so she wasn't sure what type of leader he was. Meredith however, she knew would be grinding her teeth at following another, even in such a small instance.

Hawke led them quietly off the the side, keeping out of the sight of the qunari warriors that stood outside the great doors to the Viscount's keep.

The group stopped, and Meredith sneered. "Do you even __have__ a plan?" she asked quietly.

Orsino rolled his eyes, and turned to Hawke also. "So tell us, Hawke, what is our course of action?" he asked politely.

"Not getting killed is step one," Hawke replied, still looking up at the doors.

"Good choice," Varric murmured.

"Step two, is finding out what they are up to."

"We don't have much time, before the killing will start, if it has not already," Fenris warned Hawke.

"Then we need to get you in there," Orsino added, looking at Hawke and his crew. "I believe I can create a sufficient distraction, and lure them away from the doors."

"That will take too long," Meredith disagreed. "We have the numbers, we should simply attack them."

"They have hostages!" Orsino said in shock at her words.

"I agree," Hawke replied. He turned to Orsino. "We'll go with the enchanter's plan, and lure them away."

"Lure them away how?" Meredith asked, the distaste apparent on her face.

Orsino nodded to Hawke, and stepped out away from the group, pulling out his staff. "Have confidence Knight Commander," he said, walking towards the gate.

"Get ready," Hawke said. "We move in as soon as the Qunari are past us." He turned to the templars. "Meredith, you and your men close in behind them and cut them off once we move." She obviously didn't like it, but she nodded to him.

Hawke turned back in time to see Orsino throw a fire ball. "You won't take our city without a fight!"

"Bas saarabas! Vinek Kathas!" the responding shouts rang out, and Cat watched as Orsino backed up and began running, even while throwing fire balls. She was surprised that none of the guards had stayed at the doors, but with a powerful mage on the loose, she supposed their duty was clear to each of them.

As soon as the Qunari ran past them, Hawke led his crew forward, sneaking into the keep, and Meredith, and her templars fanned out into position. Cat wondered momentarily how Orsino got away from his pursuers.

The keep itself was eerily quiet as they entered, and several qunari moved forward to glare at them from behind the railing above them.

Cat could hear the instructions Hawke was muttering to the others, small things like who would be fighting with who, and which direction to take.

"Cat, try to get up there as quickly and safely as you can. We need to know if there are more waiting."

"Got it," she replied, readying herself and pulling out her sickly daggers. These warriors were huge, and she needed every advantage. She smiled as she heard Sten's voice in her head, his daily lectures about fighting warriors larger than herself coming back in memory.

Her grin turned feral as she spotted the single quari on the left side of the staircase. As Hawke sent out a spell, she moved, hopping on top of a table, jumping to a bookcase, and over the banister on the stairs. She had easily avoided most of the warriors, and was now in front of her prey.

She silently thanked Sten, easily dispatching her enemy and glancing around the higher floor. Looking down, she jumped over to slide down the banister, crashing into and stabbing the quanri that had cornered Merrill.

"Thanks Cat!" Merrill called, using a spell on another that was trying to harm Anders. He grinned, and used his spell on the next, gaining a glare from Fenris as his sword crashed through a frozen qunari.

"I had him," Fenris growled. "Help someone else."

"You're welcome," Anders replied with a roll of his eyes. "SO ungrateful," he said in mock whisper to Merrill, who giggled.

Hawke finished with his own opponent, and Cat called to him. "Three more at the doors at the end of the hall, at least, I only saw three," she said and he nodded.

"Ranged fighters, get an attack ready. Fenris, Aveline…" he looked at Cat but didn't include her. "Rush at them, but once near, turn to either side in case there are more. We'll hit the ones we can see with spells." Varric cleared his throat, and Hawke amended his words. "And arrows," he said. Cat cleared her throat as well, and Hawke glanced at her, his smirk wide. "And perhaps a dagger, or two?" he suggested, and Cat nodded with a smile. "Then let's go," he said, leading towards the stairs.

* * *

Hawke stood in front of the large doors, giving himself a breather before reaching for the handle. He stopped, looking behind him at his people. "Moment of truth," he said with a small smile. "I wouldn't choose anyone else to be beside me," he said in an uncommon show of affection for them. He glanced over at Fenris and Anders, seeing Cat between them, and well hidden by their larger bodies. He nodded to her. "Stay hidden," he cautioned, then turned back and opened the large doors, and stepped inside.

* * *

Cat couldn't believe how many people were crammed into the throne room. Sure the room could hold a lot, but with all of the nobles, and hundred or so qunari, it felt fairly crowded.

"But we have guests," the deep voice of the Arishok rumbled throughout the room, as they followed Hawke into the room. "Shanedan, Hawke."

"There's no way we can fight them all," she practically whispered, knowing Fenris' would be able to hear her regardless.

"For all your might," the Arishok continued, walking down the steps to be face to face with Hawke. "You are no different than these bas," he said in derision, gesturing to the crying and frightened nobles around them. "You do not see."

"We can still work this out," Hawke suggested. "Just let them go."

Cat flinched as the Arishok seemed to look right at her, as she peeked around Fenris's shoulder. He moved back to look at Hawke without reaction, replying, "perhaps." Cat breathed a sigh a relief. He must not have noticed her.

The Arishok's eyebrow went up, as if amused. "Prove yourself basra, or kneel with your brethren." He turned to walk up several stairs, just as a few warriors came forward. The rest of the crew backed up, at Fenris' direction, leaving plenty of room for Hawke and the four warriors.

They attacked him separately, but he maintained the distance he needed from each of them to attack with his spells. He was doing well, and Cat glanced over to see the Arishok watching in interest, and she suddenly felt as if this test was merely a way for him to see if Hawke was a worthy opponent to fight himself.

Before the fight was over, the Arishok yelled out, "Pasharra!" and the warriors back away, two of them dragging the other two back as well.

The Arishok seemed almost friendly, as he returned to the bottom of the stairs to speak with Hawke.

"You __are__ basalit-an after all," he announced. "Now, tell me, how would you suggest we resolve this conflict?"

Hawke stepped forward. "Isabela stole the tome. We find her, and you will be able to leave Kirkwall, for good."

"Is this not one of your companions?" the Arishok asked derisively. "One I suspect you aided."

"The plan was to get the tome, and give it to you," Hawke defended himself, even as the Arishok looked warily at him, uncertain whether he wanted to believe him or not.

"Admirable, but pointless," he replied. "For I still do not have it." He looked at Hawke then, the amusement shining through. "Do you know the punishment for such a crime?" he asked, and Hawke shook his head. "It is very unpleasant, I am told, though effective enough so that the thief spends the rest of their days atoning for their crime among those they have wronged."

"So basically slavery instead of death then," Hawke muttered, and the Arishok smiled eerily.

"As the leader, it falls to you, Hawke." Hawke looked up in confusion, before the understanding dawned, and his eyes narrowed. "Their offence is yours. __You__ will answer for the crimes of those that serve you."

Cat could tell that Hawke was thinking furiously, but when his shoulders squared, she felt her heart would stop if he accepted the Arishok's words.

She moved away quickly, and the tenseness of the moment was the only reason she was abe to catch Fenris off guard. "NO!" she shouted, moving to Hawke. "It's my punishment, not his!"

Hawke turned in shock, holding her from moving to the Arishok. "That's not true," he countered, holding her back, even as Fenris stepped forward to take her.

She felt frozen, the fear coursing through her as the hulking form of the Arishok stood over her. She remembered the worry she had of Sten deciding to kill her when he thought her useless, the fear of the memories causing her to shake.

Hawke pulled her back, and stepped in front of her. "He is right. As the one in charge, I must accept the consequences."

"I helped Isabela steal the tome!" Cat cried desperately, trying to get away from the two of them that held her still.

"Why are you doing this?!" Hawke hissed at her.

"Arishokost!" Fenris suddenly let go of her, and she fell into Hawke's arms at the sudden movement. "Qun-anaam ebra-toh! You have granted this man basalit-an. By this admission, he now has the right to challenge you."

His large axe on his shoulder, the Arishok looked knowingly at Fenris. "You know our ways," he spoke with a nod.

"I know that respect is hard won, but it also earns privilege."

"What say you, Hawke?" the Arishok asked. "Will you challenge me?" he smirked as if knowing what Hawke would say.

Hawke gave Cat back to Fenris, ensuring that she could not push past them again. "What are the rules?" he asked calmly.

"No!" Cat cried out again.

"We fight to the death, you and I. Alone. Kill me, and the duty that binds me here is ended. The others will return to Par Vollen."

Hawke thought this over, and asked, "and if you kill me?"

The Arishok smiled again, and Cat shivered. "Then you are dead."

The commotion at the door turned their attention there. The doors were kicked open, and Cat fell down in relief and gratitude. "Issy," she whispered.

"I believe this is what you are arguing about?" she spoke dryly, moving forward to Hawke. He looked at her sternly, but they could all see the relief in his face.

"You're late," he groused at her, and she rolled her eyes, before stepping up to the nearest qunari and handing him the book.

"The tome of Koslun," the Arishok said reverently.

"I think you'll find it mostly in one piece," Isabela said over her shoulder as she made her way to Cat, helping her stand.

"Issy," Cat started, tears forming in her eyes.

"Kitty," Isabela said softly with a small smile. "You know this is your damned influence, don't you? I was halfway to Ostwick before I knew I had to turn round."

Cat threw her arms around her best friend, so glad that she had come. _"_ _ _You worried me,"__ she whispered.

 _"_ _ _Doubted me, did you?"__ Isabela replied, pulling back and giving Cat a smirk. "Me too."

Hawke smiled, turning to the Arishok. "Now you can return to Par Vollen?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes," the qunari leader replied, but didn't move, and Hawke frowned. The Arishok's slight smile was very unnerving. " _ _With__ the thieves."

"They will be punished plenty, but here," Aveline said firmly.

"No chance in hell," Cat growled out, standing in front of Isabela, her arms out as if to block a blow.

"The Qun does not suffer thieves," the Arishok rumbled, almost… __amused,__ Cat thought angrily.

"This is not for the Qun to decide," Hawke stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Take your tome, and go," he commanded.

"It seems we must duel after all," the Arishok said, stepping forward, to Hawke's shocked dismay.

"No! If you duel anyone, duel me!" Isabela called out, and the Arishok glanced at her in disdain.

"You are not basalit-an," he replied. "You are not worthy." He turned back to Hawke. "I have my duty. I will take them. If you object, then you must fight. Killing me, is the only way to stop me now."

"It doesn't have to be this way," Hawke tried to make him see. "We can both walk away!"

"I cannot," the Arishok said firmly.

Hawke glanced over at Cat and Isabela, and turned back to the qunari leader. "So be it. I will not let you have them."

"Meravas!" The Arishok shouted, ensuring that all his warriors heard him. "So shall it be!"

"No, wait!" Cat yelled, stepping over to Hawke quickly, with Isabela in tow. "Hawke," she said quietly under her breath, "you don't have to do this. Even if we go with them, we can escape. There's no need to fight him!" She moved closer, her face clouded with worry. "I know you're strong, but he's resistant to magic, and his armor has all sorts of runes on it," she said, biting down on her lip. "I mean, I know you __can__ beat him, but what will it cost you?"

"Far less than watching him take you away from me," Hawke said solemnly, and Cat looked up at him in confusion. "It makes no sense to me either," he said as his hands came to the sides of her face, pulling her to him with ease, and fitting his mouth over hers.

All coherent thought flew from her mind, as she stiffened in response. Just at the moment that she would have surrendered, Hawke pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

"He can't have you," he said softly, then straightened, and moved away.

"Just her?" Isabela teased him, and he glanced back with a smirk, but didn't correct himself. She laughed as she pulled Cat back and out of the way, to join the rest of the crew.

"I should have just threatened to sail off with you," she told Cat, laughing. "Would have been much easier, and you wouldn't have wasted all this time."

"Huh?" Cat asked, looking over at her, and seeing all the others looking at her with smiles. "Why aren't you more worried?!" she demanded of them, turning back to Hawke in concern.

"He's got a reason, a purpose," Anders said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder in support and comfort. "He'll win."

She didn't see the others nod, just felt better as they crowded around her, Fenris and Isabela each grabbing one of her hands, Aveline and Merrill's hands on her back and Varric in front of her. Her worry didn't go away, but their faith in Hawke helped to bolster her.

The fight started slowly, as Hawke and the Arishok circled each other, trying to gauge the strengths of the other. A strike here, a feint there, a small spell used to try to understand the runes on the qunari's armor.

Hawke kept a distance between them, keeping out of range of the large axe and sword the Arishok was swinging around with little difficulty. Hawke twirled his staff around, and Cat noticed something.

"When did Hawke get a staff blade?" she asked.

"Recently," Fenris answered, neither of them looking away from the two fighters as they spoke. "After his fight with Du Puis,he felt he wouldn't have gotten as injured if he had had one."

"Okay," she replied. It made sense after all.

They stayed there, quietly watching apprehensively as their friend and leader fought for them. They winced as the Arishok got in a few slashes, Hawke not backing away quickly enough to completely avoid them.

She squeezed Fenris' hand as she felt him stiffen as Hawke put his hand to the latest cut, and looked at the blood on his hand. Hawke glared up at the Arishok, and steeled himself before launching into a counter attack.

They became more hopeful as Hawke's plan became apparent. He did everything he could to antagonize the Arishok, causing him to strike out in anger. It was like shipping away at a mountain, dodging attack after attack, running around the room, sliding behind pillars- to work his way to a single attack once the Arishok was angry.

Cat nodded, as Hawke once again had the Arishok flailing to strike him in fury, and he used a lightning spell to stun the qunari, sliding the staff blade in between his armor plates. Then he was off again, as the Qunari roared in pain, and struck out to get Hawke away. Hawke's breathing was heavy, as he started the process over again.

Cat could hear the commotion behind the door, as the templars finally made it to the hall, and were trying to reopen the doors. But, she couldn't tear her eyes away from Hawke, seeing him gather his mana to him wrapping a spell in a barrier, and flinging it out to the side. The Arishok glanced over, but continued after Hawke, sure that he had simply missed or dropped what he had meant to attack with.

Cat worried her lip between her teeth, seeing Hawke's strategy, and hoping it worked. After several more trips back and forth in the hall, keeping the Arishok from being aware of where the spell was in relation to themselves, Hawke led the large warrior to the center of the hall, and turned to fight.

The Arishok roared as he sent both blades to Hawke, who used his staff to block them from his skin, and with a twist, pulled the Arishok closer, as he tried to hold on. The gasps were heard as Hawke was head-butted, and fell back, dizzily.

The qunari stood over him in triumph, and Hawke backed away, scuttling over the floor. The Arishok moved forward, his blades over his head to strike, as Hawke reached over and grabbed the barrier wrapped spell, tossing it toward the Arishok and hitting the barrier with magic to dissipate it.

The massive spirit bolt, now freed from its cage, seemed to roar to life, striking the Arishok in the chest, and moving through him. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and looked down, in shock, seeing Hawke glaring at him, the blade from his staff up to the hilt in his midsection.

Hawke's face didn't change as he moved his arms, snapping the blade off from his staff, leaving it in the Arishok. He got to his feet, as the Arishok dropped his blades, and crumpled at the foot of the stairs.

The Qunari pointed at Hawke. "One day… we shall… re..turn…" he got out, before succumbing to the injury, his body going lax as he died.

"Is it… over?" Cat heard behind her, and the group of them turned to see Meredith and her templars, swords out and at the ready.

"It's over," Hawke replied from where he stood at the front of the room. "The Qunari will leave in peace," he stated, as the warriors had already started to file towards the doors.

The templars looked to their leader who nodded, and they split aside to let the qunari pass by them. Several followed after them, wanting to ensure it wasn't some sort of trick.

* * *

Hawke stood still, looking over at his crew, his emotions raw, and wanting to simply burst from his chest. He had almost lost them…. he had almost lost __her__ twice now, just tonight. He hadn't meant to be so crass as to kiss her in front of everyone, but if he had lost, he would have very much regretted it if he hadn't kissed her.

He focused in on Cat, as the nobles around him were cheering, though he didn't hear them. He could see she was crying, but ignoring the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

She looked up, and her eyes met his, and he gave her a half smile, which grew as he could see the color tinting her cheeks. He ignored those around him that were trying to shake his hand, or pat his back, and he moved toward her.

"It seems the city has a new Champion," he heard a voice proclaim loudly, and he saw Meredith step in front of him.

His eyebrow rose at her expression, it was obvious that she didn't agree with the cheering people, in fact, she looked very unhappy about the idea.

She stepped close, and he kept himself from stepping back, even as she made him uncomfortable. "Champion," she said snidely. "Until you show your true colors, __mage.__ Then you will follow my lead."

"I'll be sure to avoid that, Knight Commander," he stated, moving past her, looking for his friends.

"Champion!" the people began crowding around him again. "Champion!" "Champion!"

It started as people trying to get his attention, and became a rallying call that made him feel somewhat nauseated. He kept turning, and turning, looking for the others, but unable to find them.

* * *

"And we are out here, why?" Isabela complained. "We can hardly celebrate my return without Hawke." She grinned and winked at Cat. "Besides, I'm sure he has a different celebration in mind."

Cat paled slightly, coughing to cover it up, and feeling her face heat as she noticed several people staring openly at her as they walked past.

"Why don't we go ahead and get started Rivaini?" Varric suggested. "The whole city will be celebrating, and we need to make sure we have a seat after all."

"Good idea, Varric!" Isabela exclaimed with a grin. "I'll worry about Castillon later. It will take time before he hears about this anyway."

"That's the spirit," Varric replied. "Who else?" he asked.

"There is much work to do," Aveline said quietly. "I need to account for my guardsmen." She turned to look at Varric. "Send any you see to the keep, will you?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Thank you, everyone," she said, and headed back inside.

"We should probably make sure Hawke's mother is still all right," Anders said, and Merrill nodded. "I'll help you," she said, giving Fenris a pointed look.

He ignored her. "I'll wait with Cat," he said, and the others all rolled their eyes at his apparent lack of romance.

"I… think I will head home and change?" she said uncertainly.

"Good idea, Kitty," Isabela said, looking over her. "You've got blood all over you."

"Not mine," Cat replied immediately, and Isabela smirked.

"Of course not,"she said. "Come to the Hanged Man when you can," she said with a pat to Cat's arm, and then they left.

"Shall we?" Fenris asked her, and Cat looked at him for a moment before nodding.

They walked slowly, which was not unusual, and silently, which was. Fenris wanted to say something, but was uncertain if Cat was upset, or simply deep in thought.

"Would the Qun have punished the Arishok if he returned with the tome and not us?" she asked suddenly.

He glanced at her, surprised at what she had been worrying about. "I am not certain, though I do not believe so," he replied.

"So he just wanted a fight?" she asked incredulously.

Fenris frowned. "I may not be able to explain it correctly," he started. "As the leader of all the Qun's military, he most likely has not fought in some time. Being waylaid here in Kirkwall, all because of a duty… I'm certain he was feeling caged."

He turned to glance at her. "That's not really an answer, I know, but is my impression."

"I think I get it," she replied, falling silent again.

A short while later, they walked into their home, separating to get cleaned up. He didn't take as long, knowing she had dried blood in her hair that would take some time to clean out. He went to the kitchen, rummaging for something for them to eat, especially since they would most likely be drinking the rest of the night away.

It wasn't fancy, but it was filling. Fenris glanced at Cat again in concern. She was being strangely quiet still, and it was unnerving.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, wanting to at least offer.

She looked up, meeting his eyes, and giving a shrug. "I guess so," she said softly. "When we kissed, way back when, do you remember how you felt?"

He nodded, though still uncertain of what the problem was. Obviously it had to do with Hawke kissing her… but? "It was good," he replied. "I felt warmth and care for you, though that was all."

"Me too," she said, looking down at her plate.

They sat in silence for several minutes before she looked up again. "Sorry," she said sheepishly, and he merely looked at her. "When Hawke, uh, kissed me…" she began, "there were none of those feelings," she said.

"None?" he asked in surprise. __That was unexpected…__ he thought.

"Uh... or all?" she said. "It was unsettling."

"I can see that," he said dryly.

She smiled before her face dropped back to worry. "It wasn't warmth, it was a wild, burning fire. It wasn't care, it was like… like… something snarling, __MINE__ …"

He frowned at that, not liking the possessiveness in the way she said it.

"Before with Steven," she said, looking at him again. "It was only the warmth, and the care. I thought it was love, but, now I'm not sure." He moved over to her, as she looked at him in panic. "I've never felt like this, Fen! It's scaring me... What do I do?" she asked desperately.


	71. Chapter 71- The Champion

Hawke raised his hand, brushing through his hair yet again as his frustration mounted. So far, the only good thing about being named the city's champion was that he no longer had to hide what he was, though he continued to do so- force of habit.

The bad things, however, continued to pile up. He was stuck with all sorts of requests from anyone and everyone. He was more than happy to assist the common people, however most of their requests were things he couldn't do, like give them new housing.

The nobles were bothersome, but some actually had valid concerns for the city, though most of those requests were for his attendance at some dinner or function where they could show him off. __No thanks,__ he thought.

Then there were the city officials. Without a viscount, they had started sending every matter to the guard, and while he couldn't blame Aveline for passing them on, why to him?!

The worst of all, was Meredith. She too, was forwarding every matter to him, with the kind offer to __help__ __out__ attached to every bundle of papers. He wasn't stupid, he could see that she would gladly take over the viscount duties, however he didn't think that was the right thing for their city.

He was constantly trying to get the nobles to choose a new viscount, but they all seemed to enjoy the way things were being handled now. Little did they know, their champion couldn't take this much longer.

Glaring at the stack of papers still in front of him, Hawke ran his hand through his hair again. He had no idea what time it was, the last time he ate, or even where the rest of his household was. He glanced around, looking to the window. There was soft light, but he couldn't tell if it was the sun rising or setting.

Getting to his feet was surprisingly difficult, with how stiff he felt, and he wondered again just how long he had been sitting there. He hoped fervently that he hadn't spent the entire night glaring at the same stack of papers- if he had stayed up that long, he at least should have something to show for it.

He heard a door open, and turned to see his mother coming into the room. "Oh, Garrett, you're wasting away at this desk," she shook her head as she came up to him. "I wish you'd let me find you some help, at least one assistant who can sort all these for you."

"It's my responsibility mother," he said with a sigh. "Even if I didn't ask for it."

"Then you must remember to take breaks," she scolded him. "You've been practically glued to that desk for weeks!"

Hawke stretched, hearing his back pop, which felt oddly satisfying. "That's a slight exaggeration, Mother," he replied with an eye roll.

Her eyes narrowed, "Did you just roll your eyes at me, young man?" she asked, and Hawke swallowed. He wasn't sure if she was teasing him.

"No ma'am," he replied automatically.

"I thought not," she smiled at him, the memories of her little boy swamping her. "You've always been one to take on responsibility, Garrett, even when you were young. I just worry that you'll miss out on other things."

"I'm fine Mother," he said with a smile, giving her arm a squeeze in reassurance.

"Yes, I can tell," she answered drolly, taking in the state of his hair- always a sure sign that he was at his wits end. "I'm not the only one, you know. Your friends have been concerned for you as well."

He gave her a questioning look. "Yes, they have come over several times, and you've been too busy to see them," she said.

His face scrunched up as he thought back. __That couldn't be right, I don't recall ever saying that…__ he mused.

She gave a small smile as he questioned himself. __So like his father, getting focused on one thing to the detriment of all others.__

"I told them you would come see them, once you resurfaced," she told him, the humor coming out in her voice, and he smiled back sheepishly.

"I suppose," he conceded.

"You know how proud of you I am son, for all you've done for us, and the city. But really, I just want to see you happy."

"Thank you Mother," he replied. "I'm trying."

"I know," she said, giving him a hug. "Now, if the rumors I'm hearing are true, my son is engaged, and I haven't even seen the girl here?"

Hawke started spluttering, even as Leandra laughed. "It was only a kiss Mother," he growled in annoyance.

"I've never known you to be satisfied with a simple kiss before," she teased, "the girls in Lothering were quite descriptive in fact."

Hawke couldn't seem to get out more than strangled sounds, and Leandra laughed heartily at his discomfort, and his red face.

"I thought it odd for you to steal a kiss, then ignore the girl…" she continued. "Did it not go well?" she asked innocently.

"Mother, I am not talking about this with you," Hawke grumbled. Looking at her as she remained silently looking at him. He didn't last long before he broke. "It went fine," he mumbled.

She laughed merrily, giving him another hug. "Then why have you been too busy for her? Perhaps she's thinking it was merely an impulsive moment?"

Hawke frowned at the thought. "You don't think…"

"It's possible," she warned. "Women can be fickle creatures after all," she smirked at him. "I should know."

"You, Mother, are incorrigible."

"Yes Darling, I know," she replied happily. "Now it's almost sunset, why don't you go see your friends? They are most likely at that fun little pub in Lowtown."

Hawke smiled back, wondering what kind of woman his mother would have been when she was younger. __Obviously one that did as she pleased,__ he thought, __since she left her family and everything she knew to be with Father.__

"Thank you Mother," he replied. "I think I will do just that."

"Good. Good night Darling."

"Good night Mother."

* * *

"You mean we're rid of him? For three whole weeks?" Anders exclaimed excitedly.

Cat turned to glare at him, and he cleared his throat with a cough, and a mumbled apology.

"Yes," she replied. "He said he'll be gone for about two weeks, but more likely three since he's traveling on foot."

"Where did he have to go all of a sudden?" he asked.

"Sorry, that's top secret," she replied, and smiled at his pout. "And not my secret to share," she added.

Anders' face brightened again as he opened the door to the Hanged Man for her, and they walked in. "Who cares? I have you all to myself for three whole weeks!"

"All to yourself, huh?" came Isabela's voice to their left. "Why Kitty, having an affair?"

"Right…" Cat said with a roll of her eyes. "With this guy," she said pointing her thumb over at Anders.

Isabela sauntered up, and did a small circle around Anders, looking him up and down. "Oh, I don't know…" she replied. "He seems the type that would surprise you in bed, in a good way."

"Not thinking about that," Cat muttered.

"Oh we mages have tricks, believe you me," Anders answered with a gleam in his eye.

"Really?" Isabela asked, interested, as they made their way to their friends at their usual table. "Kitty, why haven't you shared any details?" she demanded as they sat down.

"Details about what?" Cat asked, confused. "Like I know what he's talking about."

"Oh?" she asked with a smirk. "So Hawke doesn't have tricks then?"

Cat glared around the table as Anders, Merrill and Varric all chuckled. "How many times do I have to tell you guys?" she asked.

"Hawke and I aren't together!" they all responded in unison.

She grabbed Varric's cup and grumbled,"You'd think since you know, you'd leave me alone," into it before taking a large drink.

"Uh, little dove, that's not wine," he said, even as she made a face, swallowed, and gasped.

"Whoa, that burns," she said putting her hand to her throat.

"You should know by now not to take my drink," he pointed out, and she nodded, handing it back.

"What's wrong Kitten?" Isabela asked from across the table, smiling as though she already knew.

Cat shook her head, but Anders spoke up. "People are still staring, and the gossip is even worse. One girl even threw a rotten fruit at her."

Eyebrows raised around the table. "Whatever for?" Merrill asked.

"Apparently, _she_ wanted to be the object of the Champion's affections," Cat answered sardonically. "It's utterly ridiculous, and twice as exhausting trying to tell the truth to them."

"People believe what they want to believe, little dove," Varric said sympathetically. "You know that."

"Right," she replied. "Hence the drink."

"Where's Broody, by the way?" he asked, changing the subject. They paused to give Norah their drink order, and she gave Cat a saucy wink as she walked away.

"What was that for?" Cat asked, and when the others acted as if nothing had happened, she let it go and continued. "He's working," she finally answered Varric. "He'll be gone for a few weeks following up on some leads."

"Ah," the dwarf replied, understanding dawning. "I did give him a few names, but I thought he would simply write to them."

"He can hardly intimidate them through a letter," Anders said sarcastically.

"He __is__ very good at that," Merrill chimed in.

"Speaking of people missing," Isabela said, "When will Hawke grace us with his presence again?"

"I went by his house yesterday," Anders replied. "He didn't even look up from his desk, just kept saying, " _ _too busy"__. I finally just left."

"His mother told me she'll send him our way once he comes up for air," Varric answered. "Though who knows for certain when that will be."

"And here I thought he'd be trying to spend some quality time with Kitty," Isabela said sadly. "The man has definitely gotten his priorities mixed up." She glanced at Cat with a smirk. "He waits too long, and she'll decide nothing can come of it."

"Nothing __can__ come of it," Cat replied tersely.

"See?" Isabela said, gesturing at Cat. "What did I tell you?"

Cat face palmed. "Issy, it was a one time thing! Hawke obviously thought he was going to die, and did what any man would do."

"Steal a kiss?" Varric asked shrewdly. "That's not even in my top five."

"Really?" she asked him. "You about to fight to the death, and there's a cute dwarf next to you, and you don't kiss her?"

"Are you calling yourself cute?" Anders teased.

"You people are impossible," Cat said. Then raising her voice, called, "Where's my drink?!"

"This seems like the wrong time to join in, if Cat is drinking," Sebastian said as he sat down at the table.

"Choir boy, nice to see you," Varric said, grateful for the distraction. "It's been awhile."

"Yes, sorry. There have been many problems in the Chantry since the death of Mother Petrice. Most of the initiates are still terrified, even though the qunari have left, but seem reassured by my presence, or should I say my bow's presence." He gave a short laugh. "But its hard to say no to Hawke."

"Hawke?" several of them asked.

"Yes…" he replied, looking at them in confusion. "He stopped by and asked me to come out. Did he not do the same for you?"

"He's coming then?" Varric asked.

"Yes, he said something about picking up another," he replied. "My guess would be Aveline or Fenris, since they are the only ones missing."

The others were smiling, but Cat just worried. It had been several weeks since she had last seen Hawke, and prayed that she wouldn't act awkward, no matter how awkward she felt.

Her drink came, and she quickly downed it, asking Norah for another before she had left their table. Varric glanced at her in concern, but she didn't notice, too wrapped up in her thoughts.

Norah returned with another glass of wine, and plunked down the bottle in front of her as well. "Anything I can do, just ask," she said suggestively in her ear before sauntering away.

"We've been coming in here for ages," Cat said to Anders quietly. "Why is she suddenly super friendly?"

"Uh, I haven't a clue?" he responded, looking away, and her eyes narrowed.

"Issy?" she turned and asked. "Why is Norah acting like that?" she asked.

"I wouldn't worry Kitty," she replied immediately with a smirk. "Rumors are just rumors."

"And this one is?" she asked.

"Apparently, the Champion used to frequent you at the Blooming Rose," she said with a smile, even as the others glared at her or rolled their eyes. "His pleasure found with you was great enough that he now pays you to be exclusively his."

Cat rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous." Then thinking it over, she shrugged, "but I can see how that one got started at least." She glanced at the serving girl, before turned back to Isabela with a chuckle. "I'm half tempted to show her just how untrue that rumor is."

"Now Kitty," Isabela chuckled along with her. "I'm sure you'd bring plenty of pleasure, and I would be happy to show you."

Cat looked down at her glass, then over at Isabela's. "What is that you're drinking?" she asked. "It seems far better than mine to have you purring at me like that."

"You'd be the one purring," Isabela replied cheekily.

"Why would you purr?" Merrill asked, interested.

Cat rolled her eyes, and finished off her glass, pouring another. "Anyway… what other rumors are there that you all are shielding me from?" she asked.

She laughed and Isabela smiled, as the rest started looking away and stammering.

* * *

Hawke held the door, letting Aveline enter first. He was glad he had decided to ensure that Sebastian and Aveline came out too. If anyone was as busy or as stressed as he was, it was the two of them. They all could use a break.

He heard the laugh, the rich sound going straight to his gut, even as all the other noise faded into the background. He looked over to his friends, seeing them all looking strangely uncomfortable, while Isabela grinned and Cat laughed mirthfully.

His quick and stolen kiss from Cat replayed in his mind, and he suddenly wished he had thought about getting her alone instead of going out with everyone.

But, as he came closer and looked around, he realized that he had missed them, all of them. His mother had been right, he couldn't just waste away at his desk. These people, for all their strange quirks, were his friends, and they made him happy.

He noticed as Anders spotted him, and saying something quickly, he got up, and headed towards the bar, offering his seat to Hawke in the process. Hawke smiled gratefully, and went to take the seat between Cat and Sebastian.

"So Anders," Cat started as he sat, and he felt her jump as she realized who he was. "Hawke!" she exclaimed.

He went with impulse, and gave her cheek a kiss, enjoying the color that spread there.

"Hello everyone," he said, looking around at his friends. "I'm sorry that I've been so busy."

"Are you sure you aren't too important for us little people now?" Isabela teased from across the table. He could tell that a part of her was serious, so he replied seriously, so that they all knew.

"I'm certain," he replied. "You are my friends, and nothing will change that."

"Not even lying or betraying you for a book," Aveline grumbled as she sat.

"No, not even then," Hawke answered with a smile. "But only because you came back," he added with a wink to Isabela.

"So, what have you been up to?" Varric asked. "Champion of Kirkwall has a nice ring to it."

"At first," Hawke agreed. "Things will be much smoother once we have a new viscount."

"Surely there are some nobles that actually want the title?" Sebastian asked. "You yourself would be a good choice."

"Maker's balls, don't even joke like that," Hawke shuddered. "That's the last thing I'd want, especially now that I know what it's like."

"Isn't it fun to be in charge?" Aveline asked sardonically as her drink arrived, and she took the first swallow. "I've heard that a few nobles have actually tried to take the office."

"Yes," Hawke replied. "But Meredith has shot them down. I'm not sure exactly how she has the influence she does, but it's becoming rather frustrating." He looked around again. "Where's Fenris?" he asked, turning to Cat.

"He had some business to take care of," she replied. "He'll be gone for a few weeks." She looked uncomfortable as she continued. "He said he tried to tell you, and eventually stuffed a letter into your stack of papers so you would know."

Hawke winced slightly at the thought. "I am very sorry," he said to all of them. "I just cannot seem to keep up with all the requests. Mother practically shoved me out the door tonight, and while I am glad to be here, I'm already wondering how much bigger the stack has become."

"You obviously need some help," Varric said dryly. "Didn't your mother offer to hire an assistant for you?"

"Did you have something to do with that?" Hawke asked, picking up Cat's sup to take a drink, but she grabbed it back, giving him a glare.

"But of course," Varric replied.

"I don't know, I guess it feels like I'm not doing them justice if I let someone else decide what is important for me," he explained, scooting closer to Cat, so that they were touching.

"Even the viscount has the seneschal," Cat replied, scooting a little away.

"Hmm, that's true, I never thought of that," Hawke replied, scooting closer again.

"You could even have someone read them, and merely tell you what they are requesting, so you don't have to read each one by yourself," she added, trying to scoot away, and finding herself at the end of the bench. She looked up, seeing amused faces around her, and narrowing her eyes.

"That is a wonderful idea!" Hawke said. "Although, it would have to be someone I trust," he replied. "I can't just let some stranger have access to all that information after all."

"Fenris is always looking for more opportunities to practice his reading," Varric said innocently, as Cat glared at him. "He and Little dove both practice with any book they can find, isn't that right?"

They were all looking at her now, and she knew that they knew, that Varric spoke the truth. __Oh, if only Fenris were here, I could just push him into it!__ she lamented to herself.

"Uh, yeah," she replied, gulping down more wine.

Hawke glanced over to Varric with a smile, and a nod in thanks, while wondering why Cat seemed so against the idea.

"And with Fenris gone, she will undoubtedly have time on her hands," Isabela added.

 _ _Traitor,__ Cat thought, staring at her, so she knew what Cat was thinking. She simply smiled back.

"Anders!" Cat said loudly, causing Hawke to look at her oddly. "I promised Anders to spend time with him, in the clinic!" she said happily as she pointed across the table at her friend.

Hawke looked over at Anders, who smiled back. "That's not necessary Cat," he replied. "I can always come help Hawke too… ow!" they all turned to look at him, as he rubbed his shin and glared at Aveline, who was pointedly avoiding looking at him.

"Just think Cat," Merrill spoke up. "If you help Hawke, he'll have much more free time, so you can purr all you want!"

The wine in her mouth shot out, and Isabela's quick reflexes were all that kept her from getting wine to the face.

"Andraste's flaming knickers," Cat muttered, wiping off her face with her sleeve. "No one will be purring, Merrill," she said with a grimace.

"If purring is what I think it is, that can be arranged," Hawke said softly in her ear, and Cat pushed him away.

"I said, no purring!" she shouted.

The table was silent, in fact, several tables around her were silent for a few moments, before laughter and talking broke out again around them, and Cat put her head in her hands.

"That one's all on you Kitty," Isabela said with a chuckle.

Cat frowned, and grabbed the bottle to pour herself another glass. It only filled about halfway, before the bottle ran dry.

She glanced at the cup, then turned the bottle to look down the spout and inside. "Issy, did you drink my wine?" she asked.

"No Kitty," came the reply. "That was all you as well."

"I've only had like three glasses," she retorted. "There's no way it can be gone." She turned to glare at Hawke, who lifted his hands in a sign of surrender.

"Not I, my lady," he said with a smile.

"Hmph," she grunted, downing the rest of the wine. "My cue to be done, I suppose."

She was quiet after that, and Hawke would glance over every now and then, to make sure she was still with them. The rest of them caught him up on what had been happening all over the city after the quanri had left. At one point, he felt Cat's hand, and looked down to see it resting on their legs, and he reached over and held it with his own.

She didn't jump or budge at all, and he glanced over to see her eyelids fluttering, as she tried to keep them open. He smiled, as she finally gave in, and her head rolled over to rest on his shoulder.

"Too much wine?" Varric asked. "I thought after staying with Broody all this time, she wouldn't be such a lightweight."

"It was probably that shot of whiskey from your glass that started it," Isabela replied with a grin. "She never could handle the hard stuff."

"I should probably see her home," Hawke said, and he turned so that her head slid onto his chest. He let go of her hand, and picked her up gently, though her eyelids fluttered.

"Where goin?" she asked, her voice slurred by either the drink or sleep, or perhaps both, he wasn't certain.

"I'm taking you home," he answered softly, and the others stood as well.

"I can accompany you," Sebastian offered. "I'm headed the same direction."

"All right," Hawke replied.

"I'll go too," Anders said, and Hawke looked at him in question. "I'm staying there while Fenris is gone," he replied in explanation, picking up Hawke's cloak, and placing it in Cat's lap.

Hawke nodded, and began walking out, seeing that Aveline and Merrill were also leaving. He hated to break up the group, but it was getting pretty late, and Maker knew Cat was needing to sleep.

* * *

"So Cat asked you to stay with her?" Sebastian asked Anders. Hawke could see that he wasn't actually interested, he was just making small talk, as he set out at a fairly brisk pace.

"Fenris actually, after she first moved in" Anders replied, looking back over at Cat. "He said it would make him feel more at ease to know she wasn't alone whenever he was gone."

"That seems odd," Sebastian replied bluntly.

"I suppose it may seem that way, to you," Anders said in annoyance.

"I didn't mean any offense," Sebastian retorted. "It was the logical assumption, seeing that the two of you can hardly stand each other."

"I can understand the assumption," Anders replied tersely. "But one thing we can always agree on is Cat's safety and happiness. I may not agree with Fenris on most things, but he is a good friend to Cat, and he feels the same about me."

"Hmm," Sebastian conceded with a nod, returning to his thoughts. They continued to walk, though the pace had slowed slightly so Hawke could keep up.

"I can take her if you need a break," Anders told Hawke who just shook his head.

"She's hardly a burden, especially without the armor and weapons."

"You'd be surprised," Anders replied with a smirk. "I saw her put at least five daggers on before we left."

Hawke chuckled, and he heard Cat give a sleepy sigh, snuggling closer to him, grabbing his cloak like a pillow. He shifted her weight, readjusting his hold, which brought her higher, her face now in the crook of his neck. He felt her move about a little until she found a spot that didn't put her face into his beard.

"Tickles," he heard her say, and he chuckled again. She gave another mumble, rubbing his chest as she moved her hand up to hold on around his neck, and he groaned inwardly. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought she was trying to torture him.

They continued on in silence, giving farewells near the chantry as Sebastian left them. Hawke needed to readjust every so often, which kept Cat from falling completely asleep, though he enjoyed the little noises of protest she made whenever it seemed she was moving away from him.

"Sorry, but you would have found out eventually how she likes to cuddle," Anders said, as they moved on toward Cat's home.

Hawke glanced at him with a smirk. "Can't say I mind, really."

Anders chuckled. "True, she's pretty good at it."

"How good?" Hawke replied, and Anders looked over in amusement at the tone. He could tell Hawke was trying to keep the question light, but he heard the steel behind it.

"The absolute best," he said with a smile, enjoying the cross look on Hawke's face. "Though you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" Hawke replied, a bit sarcastic. "When she sleeps in the same bed with a man that's known to sleep naked? And she likes to cuddle…" he blew a breath out, keeping himself from getting worked up and waking her. "Why would I worry?" he asked.

Anders laughed joyously, only laughing more at Hawke's annoyed glare. Seeing Cat shift again, he put put his hand over his mouth until he could calm down.

"I tried that same move, a long time ago," he finally said, and Hawke looked at him in confusion. "Stealing a kiss," he explained. "I don't know how much you know about her, but our Cat isn't exactly able to read the subtle clues when it comes to others' interest in her."

"I'd say I understand that," Hawke replied with a chuckle.

"Yes well, apparently, Isabela had been telling her for so long that she belonged with Fenris," he continued. "I mean, we all saw how quickly they bonded, which was especially shocking because it was __Fenris…__ "

"The point, Anders?" Hawke asked with a look.

"The __point__ is," he replied with an eye roll, "is that she decided to do something about it, and kissed Fenris."

"Oh really?" Hawke replied hotly.

"Yes, and upon hearing that later, I grabbed her and kissed her."

Hawke stopped, glaring at Anders, who chuckled again. "I can admit freely, that I think nothing but the best of Cat," Anders said, giving Hawke a shrug. "And until the moment that I kissed her, I thought she was the perfect woman for me."

"And then?" Hawke replied, uncertain of how he felt at those words.

"And then I pushed her away," Anders said, and Hawke looked at him in surprise. Anders smiled. "It was like kissing my mother," he said, and Hawke's eyes went wide before he started laughing.

"Needless to say, that my thoughts concerning Cat changed that very moment."

"And what did she say to that?" Hawke asked, as he adjusted his hold and they started walking again.

"Basically threatened me if I ever tried it again," Anders replied with a smirk. "She also told me the experience was similar between her and Fenris."

"Hmm," Hawke murmured in a non-committal manner.

"I watched as she missed interest all around her, until a few weeks ago, someone else stole a kiss…" Anders said, his eyes warm. "And she didn't pull away or threaten bodily harm afterward..." His smile grew. "Just blushed a lot."

He reached out, to open the door as they had reached the mansion. He turned back to look at Hawke, before he could enter. "Don't screw it up this time," he said, and gestured him inside.


	72. Chapter 72- The Next Day

**A/N:** Sorry about missing last week's update! This chapter has given me a lot of headaches y'all. I feel like I finally got it where I wanted it, but please feel free to give me some feedback! Thanks!

* * *

Cat woke with a pounding headache and a dry throat, wondering when she had gotten in bed. She sat up slowly, with a groan, before she was able to focus on her surroundings. She was definitely in bed… well __on__ her bed in any case. She was still dressed in her clothes from the previous day, and covered by a cloak. She could tell she was still armed, though a few of her daggers were missing, as were her shoes.

Before she could make sense of any of it, her bedroom door opened, and Anders walked in carrying a tray. She looked up at him, wondering why she couldn't remember coming home with him last night, and deciding he must have taken care of that for her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked with a smile.

"Fuzzy," she replied. "I'm sorry I made you carry me home," she said as she rubbed her eyes.

"It was no problem at all," he replied with a smirk, and she looked at him again, uncertain what he meant by that.

"Feeling up to eating?" he asked. "Or having something to drink?" She winced, and he chuckled softly. "Just juice," he said, and she nodded gratefully, as he handed her a cup.

She sipped slowly, clearing her throat. "I remember talking to everyone, and then… not much else," she said. "I didn't do anything stupid, did I?" she asked, worried.

"No," he replied. "Basically, just fell asleep at the table."

"Oh, okay," she said in relief. __Could have been much worse,__ she thought. She could still remember several of the horror stories her friends back home would tell of when they had had too much to drink, and she tried to avoid overindulging ever since.

She shifted a bit, rolling her shoulders. Then reached back, pulling a small blade from behind her tunic and placing it on the bedside table.

"Sorry," he said, as he saw the dagger. "I thought I got them all."

She smiled, and raised the cup to drink again. "It's fine. I'm surprised you didn't crash with me last night. Was I snoring too loudly?" she asked.

"I… uh, slept in the next bedroom," he said, looking away. "With all the rumors going around, I didn't want to add to them."

She gave him another questioning look. "Who would even know?" she asked.

He gave her a pointed look before replying. "I would, and besides, if I get used to your cuddling, I'll be unable to sleep once I'm back home." He gave a smile, and gestured toward the food. "Eat something will you? I can help with the headache after if you'd like."

"It's not too bad," she replied, grabbing a piece of toast and munching on it, as she slowly got up. "I'll let you know if it won't go away though."

He shook his head as she moved to straighten the bedding. He never could understand her habit of making the bed as soon as she got out of it. He was more the type to jump back in, and how could he if it was made?

She turned to hang up the cloak, and looking closer, turned back to hold it out to him. "Thanks for the blanket, but you could have just put me under the covers," she said with a smile.

He looked at the garment, but didn't reach for it as he grinned back at her. "Well, we tried to, but you wouldn't part with it."

"Huh?" she asked. "We?"

"Yeah, about that…" he drawled, his grin having her suddenly very wary. "Since you fell asleep on Hawke last night, he was actually the one to carry you here."

"Wait, what?" she asked. She rubbed her forehead, trying to bring back any memories of the previous night.

"He put you down, but you were… quite insistent about not letting him go…"

"…" Cat sat abruptly on the edge of the bed, opening her mouth, but nothing came out.

"How did you word it again?" Anders said, teasing as he mocked asking. "Oh yeah… " He spoke again in a high falsetto to imitate Cat, _"_ _ _You can sleep here, with me, but I can't do the sex"__ ,he said as he chuckled. "I have to say, Hawke looked extremely tempted to stay to try to prove you wrong, but he finally just whispered something and covered you with his cloak, and you seemed to be okay with that."

"Maker's hairy sack," Cat groaned, causing Anders to snort. "I sincerely wish you were joking right now."

"C'mon Cat, it's no big deal," he replied, sitting next to her and putting his arm around her shoulder. "Everyone says things when they're drunk. I won't mention it, and since Hawke already swore me to silence, I know he won't either."

She stayed where she was, her head hanging and her eyes closed as he gave her a squeeze.

"He seems to genuinely care, Cat."

"That just makes it worse," she said quietly.

He pulled back, holding her shoulders so that he could look at her face. "Why?" he asked. "I'm not an expert on such things, but it's pretty obvious you care too."

"Caring isn't always enough," Cat replied. "I can't tell him Anders. How can I start something knowing I can't give my all?"

He gave her a little shake, causing her to finally look up to look him in the eye. "I don't recall him asking for your __all__ ," he said seriously. "Maybe you just try giving what you can, and letting him decide if it's enough."

She looked at him uncertainly, the logic making sense, and yet still unsure if it was wise. "I…" she started. Pausing, then starting again. "I… don't want to get hurt, Anders," she said. "I don't know if I could pick myself up from that again."

He had a look of pity, but Cat could tell he wasn't pitying her, more her situation. "You could, if you had to," he replied. "You're one of the strongest people I know." He nodded emphatically, even as she started to disagree. "If other people were here in your shoes, they would have simply given up, but not you. You found friends, made a place for yourself. And not just once, but several times! Don't try to tell me you're not strong."

"But Hawke's really important to the story-"

"Oh, screw the bloody story!" he interrupted her with venom. "We've already changed it, haven't we?" he asked. "And from what I can see, it's been positive." He shook his head at her uncertain look. "Don't you __dare__ tell me it wasn't." Her eyes widened in surprise at his tone. "Don't ever regret having Olivia in our lives, not for a second."

She held back her tears, though they pooled in her eyes, trying to escape. "I wouldn't…"

"I know," he replied with a sigh, his tone more gentle. "You couldn't have known then, what she would mean to us, could you?" He smiled as she shook her head. "How would it have been, if you had turned her away, or not helped to save her, because it wasn't in the story?"

She hung her head again, ashamed that she could agree with him about Olivia, yet still not about Hawke.

Anders stood, patting her shoulder as he did. "Just think about it, okay Cat? Maybe give Hawke the courtesy to decide for himself, huh?" he said, then left her alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Thinking about it, was all Cat could seem to do. Even after she finally got up, got clean, and changed her clothes, she still thought of it. After going downstairs and seeing Anders waiting for her, she thought of his words again. Then, having him suggest they go help Hawke that morning, finally pulled her from her thinking.

"I don't know Anders…" she said as she searched for a viable reason to not see Hawke. "I'm pretty sure I promised to visit the Knight Captain today?"

He gave her a skeptical look, then shrugged. "If that's what you want," he said. "I'm sure no one will believe me when I tell them that you were scared off, but since I'm here to witness it first hand…"

She whirled around to glare at him, noting that he wasn't teasing her now. He simply met her eye to eye, giving her the out, but unwilling to let her reason it away.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "But only because I want to check on Hafter."

"Of course," he replied with a smile, glad that she continued to be stubborn enough to let her pride override her nerves.

* * *

Anders took the lead, seeing that Cat was still preoccupied with her weighty thoughts. He followed Hawke back into the house, letting her trail behind him as they spoke.

"Thank you for coming," Hawke said, combing his fingers through his hair as he walked back toward the fireplace. "It seems like a never ending task."

"What are friends for?" Anders replied, glancing back at Cat. "I'd like to take a look at Hafter while I am here as well."

"That would be good," Hawke said with a smile. "I had been giving him regular healings, he just seemed to tire so easily. And the walking has been slow and difficult, but he's too stubborn not to succeed eventually." He paused, stopping the other two where they were. "Just give me a moment, and I'll help him in."

Without waiting for a reply, Hawke left through to the kitchen. Anders turned to Cat, his eyebrow raised in question. She wasn't sure what the question was, but took it as a general, _is everything all right?_ , so she nodded. Looking over at the desk, her mouth fell open slightly.

The desk was in complete disarray, with piles of paper all over it. There was a small space with blanks pages and an ink bottle, so it appeared as though Hawke had been responding to the letters.

The ground was like an extension of the desk. Stacks of paper, along with crumpled up balls littered the floor surrounding the desk. Cat immediately felt bad for thinking that Hawke was overreacting. It seemed that he would be stuck at his desk forever if he didn't receive help.

Walking over, she started on the piles on the floor, skimming the letters near the top of one pile looking for the commonality that had Hawke placing them together. Eventually she gave up trying to figure out his filing system, and came up with one of her own.

She hardly ever read the entire page, and in fact started at the end of each letter, for the beginnings were mostly filled with blather. The ends however, always contained what it was the writer was asking for.

Cat startled as Hafter licked her face, and turning, she dropped the letter she was reading, and immediately threw her arms around his neck, giving him a hug.

"Hey boy, how's my hero doing?" she asked, petting and rubbing his head and behind his ears, and enjoying the sight of his tongue lolling out of his mouth. She could swear he was smiling, but she kept that thought to herself.

"What about me?"

It was then, that Cat noticed Hawke next to Hafter. Her eyebrow rose as she took in the sight of Hawke on all fours next to his dog.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a smile.

"Ah, you missed the show, huh? Seems I'm not the only one to get lost in the paperwork. Perhaps it casts a spell over those who read it."

Cat rolled her eyes, even as Anders gave a chuckle from behind Hawke. "What show?" she asked.

"What do you say boy?" Hawke asked his mabari. "Feel like showing off for the lady?" With a happy bark in reply, both man and dog raised themselves up a little higher and began walking around the room.

Cat couldn't help but be touched. Hafter was a large mabari after all, and having to re-learn to walk with only one leg in front was bound to be difficult. Hawke was the touching part, making Cat smile as her hand came up to cover her heart, as if it could somehow protect it.

He moved around on his hands and knees, supporting the dog's bulky mass through the turns of the room with his body. He continued to speak encouraging words, his own steely determination coming through.

They made it around the room and back in front of Cat in silence, looking up at her as they came to a stop and Hafter sat back on his haunches, looking both proud and weary.

"That was amazing!" she said as she leaned forward again, giving Hafter another rub. "You've worked so hard!"

He barked in reply, giving her face another lick.

"I thought you were looking into a false leg?" Cat asked as she turned to Hawke, even as Hafter and Hawke both made a disgusted sound.

"Warriors show off their wounds proudly," Hawke replied with a grin, as he moved to sit as well. "Pretty soon he'll be running around again." Looking over, Hawke could tell that Cat was thinking of saying something, but not wanting to. Since Anders had basically asked the same thing earlier, he answered her unasked question.

"Yes, we're a little behind on the recovery," he said, causing her to meet his eyes with a sheepish look. "I was too caught up in everything that was happening, the qunari, being champion… and Hafter suffered for it." He reached over to sling his arm around his dog. "It can be difficult for any warrior to lose a limb, especially one so important to their fighting, and I didn't see that until recently." He turned to Hafter, "Sorry buddy," he murmured.

Hafter barked and licked his face, causing Hawke to chuckle. "Yeah, we both needed to get out of our heads, didn't we boy?" Hawke asked as he wiped off his cheek. He looked back over at Cat, seeing Anders had joined them sitting down on the floor.

"I'm so sorry," Cat murmured, and Hafter grumbled out a growl, even as Hawke shook his head.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he said to her. "I'm sure Hafter would tell you that himself," he paused as Hafter barked in agreement. "If we can save someone from a horrible fate, then any injury is worthwhile. What would all our training be for if we couldn't save someone we care about?" He met her eyes again, and while she wished he would smile, she couldn't deny the absolute sincerity in his voice. "You're alive, and losing a limb is a small price to pay. I know any of us would gladly trade a limb to have Olivia back."

Anders nodded along with Cat, though he couldn't help but feel like he was intruding on what should be a private moment. Seeing how Cat was clenching and unclenching her fingers together however, was a signal that she was almost at her limit, and would shortly make a reason to escape. Clearing his throat, he asked, "So Cat, what are these piles you've made?" as he gestured toward the desk.

Cat turned and smiled at him, even as she moved to stand. Hawke beat her to it, standing fluidly, and grabbing her hand to assist her up. Just as Anders was about to join them, Hafter scooted over, and flopped his head in his lap, keeping him where he sat.

Anders smirked, reaching over to scratch his head. "I keep forgetting how smart you are," he muttered, and the dog huffed, having Anders thinking he was being laughed at. "Should be interesting to watch, eh?" he said lowly.

"Well, I basically sorted them into piles based on what they were," Cat explained to Hawke, unaware of Anders and Hafter's conversation nearby. "Obviously, I'm not certain what you would deem as the most important, but what I thought of most import are at the top, and those of least, on the bottom of each stack."

"Brilliant," Hawke replied, slightly upset with himself for not thinking of doing that.

"These are only the letters that I've gotten through. Obviously there are too many to have finished, but the unread ones are on the ground. Here on the desk, this first stack, are requests for the city. Housing needs, requests to get rid of gangs in the streets, nobles wanting your support for initiatives, etc."

She moved on, putting her hand on the next stack. "Then you have requests of you personally. Invitations to dinners, meeting of nobles from other lands- Orlais in particular is most intrigued to meet you- as well as simpler requests to simply show up to show your support for causes or people in particular."

"Ugh," came the reply, and Cat smiled.

"Some of them will undoubtedly come in handy. I would recommend saving any that could be promising in the future, especially those from nobles of other lands."

Hawke rolled his eyes, but nodded. Cat placed her hand over the last stack, and Hawke wondered why she suddenly looked angry.

"The final stack are invitations of a more… personal sort."

Hawke's eyebrow rose at her tone. "For example?" he asked, forcing himself not to smile.

"I'd rather not," she replied. "Let's just say they range from the carefully worded on top to the __highly__ inappropriate on the bottom."

Hawke couldn't stop his smile now, though he was able to keep it smaller than the grin he wanted to sport. He reached over and picked up the stack of papers she indicated. "Is that so?" he said, as he set the papers aside. "I'll have to make time to peruse them carefully then."

He watched in delight as the annoyance became apparent on her features.

"Well, you're the __champion__ ," she snipped at him, using her fingers to make air quotes. She could see his smirk, and __knew__ she was being ridiculous, but inside she had feelings that were uncontrollably raging, and it was all she could do not to tear those ludicrous letters apart.

"That's true, I am," he replied, leaning back on the desk. "I guess that means I can do whatever I want."

He grinned fully this time as she snarled. "I have to meet Cullen," she snapped, turning around. "Anders can help you with the rest."

She didn't see him move, but one moment he was leaning back and grinning like an idiot at her, and the next, he pulled her arm to turn her back around to face him. It was her turn to smirk as she noticed the smile was wiped from his face.

He stepped closer, and she instinctively stepped back. He continued to move her across the room, until he suddenly stopped her with an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Her eyes narrowed, even as he brought a stack of papers up from his side to show her, before thrusting his hand out, throwing the papers into the embers of the fireplace without breaking eye contact.

Cat turned to look, noting then what papers they were. She watched, calming, as they caught fire, watching as the neat and scrolling writing on each page were destroyed, before looking back at Hawke.

"I received an invitation last night," he said softly, his hand coming up to tuck a loose chunk of hair behind her ear. "I have no interest in any others."

Cat swallowed, feeling like her heart was beating too fast, and way too loud- he could undeniably hear it. "I… I have to go," she said quickly, pulling away. She looked to Anders as she moved to the door, seeing his disappointment before she ran out the door.

* * *

It had been a fairly rough day for Cat. After the humiliation at Hawke's, she had raced home. She tried what Fenris always claimed was therapy, and destroyed a few pieces of furniture, and then of course felt extremely guilty for being so wasteful.

She eventually decided that she wanted to speak to a friend, but not one from Kirkwall, as they were all biased. Of course the crew wanted her and Hawke to be together, and talking with Cullen wouldn't help, as he wasn't fond of Hawke. She couldn't truly trust their opinions.

If she were home, she could simply call someone, so she did the next best thing, and wrote to Leliana. She ended up writing several drafts, because she kept forgetting and putting in mentions of her home or knowledge, and was forced to rewrite. However, she also felt that she was far less emotional as she rewrote, and was able to word her concerns much more clearly.

As she left the house to take the letter to Varric, she was surprised to see the sun setting. She had gotten back from seeing Cullen around midday, which meant she had been pouring over her letter for several hours. __Pouting more like,__ she told herself. __Pull yourself together, Catarina.__

 _ _I know,__ she thought. __I need to actually talk to Hawke about this. The problem is, just being near him makes my brain go haywire, and I forget everything else! And therein lies the real problem.__

She didn't notice the looks she received as she walked towards Lowtown, having an argument in her mind. Some were looking at her in interest, others in concern, and a random few with scorn, but she didn't see them at all.

 _ _What if we are together, then what? Hawke has enemies, I'm certain to be pulled into that. And how about the fact that he practically killed himself to get me away from Gaspard? Or the Qunari? Yes, it was for everyone else too, but I would end up having a large impact on him, on his decisions!__

She shook her head. _ _I don't think I'm ready for that. UGH! I should have just gone with Al and Nate, and this would all be at most a problem for another day, if not disappeared entirely!__

Pulling open the Hanged Man's door, she paused, wondering if Hawke would be inside. With no other choice but to simply face him if he was, she continued on.

The crew were sitting at their usual table, and she smiled, seeing both Aveline and Sebastian there. Hawke was always able to drag them from their seclusion, and get them to relax, it was one of the great things about him.

She didn't see him at the table, but that hardly meant anything. If they were here, so was he. She noted that Varric was also missing, so most likely they were in his room. She debated interrupting, perhaps it was important… but finally decided it would be a quick matter to hand the letter to Varric, and she felt better about giving it to him in his room than at the table, where everyone would ask questions.

She gave a wave and nod to her friends and moved quickly over to the stairs, though Isabela simply followed her.

"Where you going Kitty?" she asked, and rather loudly at that.

"Need to give Varric a letter," she replied with a smile. "Before I forget."

"So you'll join us then?" Isabela asked, eyeing her. "I'd like to hear more about today."

"Today?" Cat asked, eyes narrowing.

"It's completely obvious that Hawke and Anders are holding out on us. I just don't believe you'd up and run out the door."

Cat's look turned sheepish, as she avoided Isabela's eyes, and knocked on Varric's door.

"Wait," she said, pulling on Cat's shoulder to turn her. "You mean, it's true? Kitty…"

Cat was saved from responding, as the door opened then, and Varric was standing in the doorway.

"Little dove," he greeted her. "It's nice to see you."

"You too Varric," she replied with a smile. "Can you have this sent for me?" she asked, handing him the letter.

"But of course," he replied. "In fact, you have good timing, as I just received one for you as well."

"I didn't know you provided mail service Varric," Isabela smirked.

"Only for fellow crossbow users," he replied cheekily, as he moved back, and rummaged through some papers. "Ah, here we are," he said as he came back with another letter in hand.

He gave Cat the letter, and suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside. He stepped around her, and herded Isabela into the hall. "Since you owe me one," he said with a hard smile, "Talk to Hawke," he said softly. Raising his voice, he said, "come join us when you're done, eh Hawke?" and without waiting for a reply, shut the door behind him.

Cat looked up nervously, finally noticing Hawke sitting near the fire. He turned to look at her, and she bit her lip, uncertain of what to say. Knowing she had run earlier, if she wanted to preserve her friendship at all, she knew they needed to talk, but she didn't want to start. She moved forward and sat at the table, looking down at the letter.

 _ _It's from Duran,__ she thought, and with her focus changed, she open the page and began to read.

 _ _9:34 Dragon, Justinian__

 _ _Dear Cat,__

 _ _I must admit to being disappointed when Nathaniel and Alistair returned without you. I miss you my friend, and not just because I value your insight. Please remember that I would love to see you again, and you are always welcome here with the Grey Wardens, whether for a visit, or as a home.__

 _ _I will not lie and say that I am not concerned, but there are many things that pull my attention these days, and I believe this is now a time of peace in between those times of strife, and we must enjoy it whilst we can, shouldn't we?__

 _ _We are fortunate in our friends, that we live so far apart and yet still keep in touch, though the news I have been getting lately is an uncertainty, and I want to find the cause for such a feeling running rampant through all the areas of Thedas.__

 _ _Those that seek power and dominion will always plan to take such things, as you are fully aware. Oh, to be back in simpler times when it was merely a blight to contend with!__

 _ _I wish I had the connections our lady friend does, and can give you updates as to the others, but know that they are not forgotten, as you are not. I can wish for the chance to bring us all together again, though I fear I must admit that wishes hardly ever come true.__

 _ _Alistair and Nathaniel have told me much of their meeting with you and your friends in Kirkwall. I find that I want to meet them as well, for they seem just the type of people we would have recruited back then.__

 _ _Warden Hawke is doing much better, now that most of the chip on his shoulder has gone. I thought for a time that he would find an arrow in his back, for as much grief as he gave Nathaniel, but he seemed to prefer Nathaniel's gruffness to Alistair's teasing. I'm sure you can enlighten me as to why.__

 _ _Please let his family know that he is integrating well within the order, he is loyal and hardworking, and now that he has finally given up trying to prove himself, has become a true brother to those around him. I am glad to have him with us.__

 _ _If you at some point decide to visit, please let me know so that I can send an escort for you. I look forward to seeing you again my friend.__

 _ _Duran__

Cat smiled, even as she began to think furiously. If her memory served her right, there were a couple of years in between acts two and three in the game. __Maybe it would actually be a good thing to go visit Duran. Spending time with Al would be amazing, and seeing more of Nate wouldn't hurt either. Of course, Carver was there…__ She smiled as she thought of the younger and broody Hawke. __Perhaps he had grown up as much as Duran implied.__

"Good letter?"

Cat glanced up, seeing Hawke looking over at her. She swallowed again, feeling suddenly better about everything. She knew it didn't make much sense, but knowing she would leave, made it easier to talk to Hawke now.

"Yeah, it's from Duran, the leader of the Grey Wardens."

His eyebrow rose in question. "You mean the Hero of Ferelden?" he asked, impressed.

"Yeah," she replied, standing up and moving closer. "Your mom asked me to ask about Carver, how he's doing. It seems he's finding his place there."

Hawke brightened. "That's good to hear. I know it was hard for him here, with me being the leader and all."

"Yeah…" she trailed off, stepping a little closer, feeling the warmth of the fire. "I… guess I should explain about earlier," she stammered.

With a move quick as lightning, Hawke pulled her closer, and she tumbled right into his lap, spluttering. "Hey!" she yelped.

He held her, tightly enough that she had to stay put, but if she really wanted to get away she could. "Yes," he said. "Let's talk."

"I'm not talking to you from your lap," she gritted out, her body tense.

"I'm simply making sure we actually finish the conversation this time," he replied with a smirk. "I'll let go, but if you try to get away, I'll simply drag you back."

She gave him an intimidating stare down, but he seemed to simply enjoy it, leaning over and kissing the tip of her nose. "You're adorable," he told her.

The move caught her off guard, and she found herself relaxing, which she found odd, but decided to simply get this over with. __The man could be incredibly stubborn after all,__ she thought.

"Fine, just don't paw at me," she responded, swatting at his hand on her leg, which he moved onto the arm of the chair. She moved away slightly, getting more comfortable as she scooted toward his knees, her tension easing as she wasn't directly face to face.

He grunted, and she apologized. "If I'm hurting you, I can move you know," she said, confused at his chuckle.

"No you're fine," he replied. "Cat… we need to get this out in the open."

"Okay," she said, getting serious. "Uh, I'll go first?"

He nodded, looking at her intently, and she tried to think of how to word it. "Remember way back… you said I was keeping secrets, and it was hard to trust me?" She could tell he wasn't expecting that, but he nodded. "Well, I can't… I mean it's hard to have… there isn't... relationships need trust."

"I trust you," he said, frowning. "That was a long time ago."

"Yes, but what I mean is, I'll always have secrets, it's just part of who I am. There are things I can't… __won't__ \- share."

"With anyone?" he asked. "Or just me?"

"It's complicated," she replied, looking away. "I can't let it ruin my life again, it's hard enough-"

Her words cut off, as he pulled her to him, his mouth covering hers. She felt her heart stop, even as her brain short circuited. His hand rubbed her neck as it pressed her closer. His tongue swiped over her lips, asking her to open to him, and she did so without a thought.

They must have gotten closer to the fire, she felt so hot, burning from the inside out, as he took her mouth again and again.

* * *

Hawke heard her softly moan, and fought back on his control yet again. __How can she not see what she does to me?__ The small taste at the Keep had only ignited his hunger for her, instead of sating it. __And she came here, thinking to tell me what? That there was no chance, no way for them?__

Her whimper penetrated through the cloudy haze of his mind, and he ended the kiss quickly, worried that he had hurt her somehow. His chest was heaving, and he could see the effects of his kiss on her mouth.

She was staring at him wide eyed, and he worried that he had done something he couldn't take back. He watched as her teeth came down to bite her lower lip, and he reached out before he could think.

"Do you even realize what that does to me?" he asked softly, as he pushed down on her chin, freeing her lip. "You shouldn't do that if you don't want me to kiss you again."

He could see the surprise on her face, and wondered how she could be so clueless. She wasn't some blushing virgin after all, though he knew she was far less experienced than he originally believed.

"I… don't know what to do," she admitted. "My brain stops working when you kiss me."

Isabela's words from long ago echoed back to him, keeping him from grabbing her again as he wanted to. __Kitty is always genuine. She doesn't know how to act coy or innocent. Remember that…__

He swallowed hard, and let out a deep breath. "That just means we're doing it right," he said with a tight smile.

"That may be," she replied, frowning, "but it's extremely unnerving."

"Then we'll just keep practicing," he offered with a smile, pleased when she chuckled.

"I doubt that will help in this situation, but I can appreciate the thought." She frowned again, tilting her head slightly as she studied him. "I'm going to be as honest as I can Hawke. I don't know what it is you want from me, but I'm only seeing this ending badly. I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize our friendship."

"Then I'll be honest too. I want you," he said. "I wanted you before, but spending the time to just be your friend made it even stronger. I don't know what will happen in the future, but I know that much. And I'm fairly certain you want me too."

"I've wanted lots of things that turned out bad for me," she retorted. "I'm not that great," she continued. "I'm stubborn, I do whatever I want, regardless of what others tell me, in fact a lot of the time I do things just because others tell me not to."

"You don't have to tell me you're stubborn, I'm quite aware," he said drolly.

Her eyes narrowed again, and she moved quickly to stand up before he could stop her. She moved away from him, grabbing her letter off the table as she headed for the door.

"Running away again?" he asked, standing as well.

She stopped in her tracks, turning back to him, the frustration evident on her face. "You don't understand," she said through gritted teeth.

"And I won't, unless you tell me."

They stood there, looking at each other, and he eventually came a little closer, but stopped when he could tell she needed her space. He didn't want to chase her away, he wanted to understand. He could tell she was thinking furiously, and he just waited and watched, as she warred with herself.

He could see when she gave up, the resignation evident, and she looked away from him.

"Can you imagine," she said softly, "loving someone? Enough to marry them, to want to spend your whole life with them?"

He could see the tears pooling in her eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to go to her, but he kept his place. "Now imagine, not being good enough… at everything. Everything seemed like a dream at first, but then you realize that everything you wanted is beyond your reach, and no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to get close enough."

He could tell she was hurting, even as she turned angry, her voice soft, but harsh. "You'll be disappointed Garrett," she said. "I'm not good at providing, I'm not good at being a wife. I can't cook, I most definitely can't be diplomatic, and to top it off, I'm not good at sex. I can't even orgasm! You may think you want me, but that's because you just don't know."

She was crying freely now, and he could see that she was confused. He assumed because he was practically snarling himself. __How could she even think that?!__ He watched her as she nodded at him, and turned, opening the door and walking out. This time, he let her go, knowing he was in no position to be calm. He paced around the room fuming at her words.

 _ _Not good enough, at anything? Was she insane? She was good at__ everything! __She provided for Isabela now for years, did she think I wasn't aware of who paid the captain's bills? Diplomatic? Just look at Fenris and Anders! The two would never get along without her influence.__

 _ _And sex?__ He snarled again. He could easily see why the others were always commenting about Cat being clueless, but he had no idea that it was directed mostly at herself. She had practically come apart in his arms, and he had only kissed her.

Calming himself down, he continued to pace until he felt reasonably sure he wouldn't punch the first idiot he saw. Determined to get to the bottom of this, he strode out of the room.


	73. Chapter 73- You Fool!

**A/N:** Just wanted to give a big thank you for all those that are reading and following the story. I realized the other day as I looked at the first published date, that this has been over a year now, and we're just barely into act 3, and I thought to myself how crazy! For someone who has always loved the Dragon Age games, it's been a complete blast to reimagine the story again. Thank you all!

* * *

Varric glanced over at Hawke, and decided once more to hold his tongue. Hawke was in one of the foulest moods he had ever seen the Champion have, and that was saying something. He could attest that Hawke could give Broody a run for his title every now and then, but in most cases, his anger was reserved for battle or when he was witness to a gross injustice.

Now, however, the dwarf could only make a mental note of how Hawke's mood had steadily decreased with each day that passed since he and the Little Dove had… spoken. Varric had tried worming some of the conversation out of Hawke, but had little success.

Obviously, things did not go as they all had pictured. Everyone had been congratulating each other with toasts, thinking that they had finally succeeded in having their friends involved in the romance of the century. He hadn't even minded when Rivaini had tried to spoil it by mentioning what they were probably doing- on his bed.

Then, Little Dove had run out of the tavern, crying, and Anders had chased after her. Hawke hadn't shown for several minutes afterward, and when he finally did, he was close lipped and upset.

Varric sighed, wanting to help make things better, but unsure of how to actually __do__ that. __Maybe I'll talk to Blondie, see what the issue is…__ he said to himself.

* * *

 _ _I wish Fenris were here,__ Anders thought. Eyes wide in shock, he realized what he had just thought, and found himself suddenly worried that he might be sick, or even dying. He rubbed his temple, blaming Cat for giving him enough grief that he would actually think such a thing.

"Just leave me alone, Anders!" she yelled again, though since she was under the covers of her bed, it came out muffled.

"No," he replied sternly, stepping over to the side of her bed. "I've let you hide here for several days, but enough is enough!" He reached over and pulled on the blankets, and found himself in a tug of war to get them off the bed.

"I'm a grown woman, I can do whatever I like!" she shouted, her voice much louder now that her face wasn't covered.

"Really? I don't see a woman, I see a child throwing a temper tantrum!" he knew he could wrest the blanket from her, but he was also tired of her antics, so he simply pulled hard enough to keep them in a stalemate, hoping she would tire herself out.

"So what? If I want to wallow, just let me!" she yelled petulantly. "Why do you care anyway? Go bother someone else!" Anders' eyes flashed brightly blue before returning to their normal color, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No!" he yelled back, finally having enough. __Day after day, with this same argument. Day after day, of her moping around, and I won't stand for it any longer.__ He yanked hard on the blankets, pulling them towards him, Cat tumbling head over feet as she fell out of the bed. She yelped, and sat up to glare at him.

"How dare you-!"

"Just shut up!" he roared, and surprised by his tone, she frowned at him, but stayed quiet. "You've hidden from the world for almost a week, Catarina. If you don't like what happened, then you must face it and fix it!"

"What do you know? Nothing!" she screamed, her frustration mounting. "You can't possibly understand!"

"Of course not!" he yelled back, his own frustration hitting the proverbial ceiling. "And I won't until you TALK to me!"

"Forget it!" she huffed.

"What the hell happened Cat?" he asked, throwing his hands in the air. "What did he say?"

"Nothing!"

"Did he pressure you to do something?"

"Of course not!"

"Then what, for the love of Andraste?!"

"I'm scared, okay?!"

They stared at each other, and as her words penetrated, he could see the fear in her eyes. The room seemed almost eerie now, in the silence. The only noise, their panting breaths as they calmed. Having finally gotten some sort of answer, he merely looked at her in question.

"I can't, Anders."

"Can't what?" He didn't mean to sound unfeeling, he was just so tired of going around in circles with her on this. She just shook her head, not wanting to answer.

"Cat, you know I love you, right?" he asked slowly. She looked up, bewildered, but she nodded. "Then know that I say this with absolute love… You're a fool."

Her mouth dropped open slightly in shock. "What?" she asked.

"Probably one of the biggest I've ever known, come to think of it."

"Anders…" she said, a frown forming on her face. __Why was he kicking me while I'm down?__ she thought.

"Now, I would have understood, if you didn't feel the same for Hawke, or if he was pressuring you to do things you felt uncomfortable with. But this?" he asked, gesturing down at her. "This… is pathetic."

He had to keep himself strong, even as the tears came. He knew he was hurting her, but she would be better for it.

"You are letting the possibility of getting hurt decide your actions," he explained, his tone more gentle now. "And honey, that's just foolish. Of course you feel like running away."

"Oh?" she lashed back. "And you're not? Mr. I-hate-commitments?"

"We're not talking about me right now," he grumbled, not liking the moniker. "The point is, you're doing this on the off chance that you'll get hurt in the future. Well done!" he said sarcastically. "Aren't you glad you've saved yourself from pain and misery?"

She looked down, obviously upset, but he could tell she was thinking on his words. He moved over and lowered himself to sit next to her. "You know how much I wanted us to be together at first?" he asked, and she looked up in deadpan. "Yes, now I understand that, but before? All I saw was a beautiful, intelligent woman who looked at me as a man, not a mage. No one had ever done that before. It seemed I had found a miracle, and I wasn't going to let her go."

She chuckled. "Oh really?"

"Indeed," he said, putting his arm around her. "I had it all figured out, from our courtship, to our secret wedding, how many kids we would have…"

"What, really?" she said, giggling. "And you didn't think to maybe include me in these plans?"

"Daydreams, really," he said with a smile. "Dreams of the future I had already had, and now I had the face to put in, and of course we know how that ended up." She nodded again, leaning into him, feeling better. "Those daydreams were gone, but recently they started up again. But instead of me, it was Hawke that I saw. This man I admire, not only as a mage, but for being a good man, no matter what life threw at him."

He cleared his throat, and she looked up at him, seeing his far away look. "I could see it so plainly, the two of you. So happy together. And of course, we all helped to keep him from acting stupid or getting into trouble. And we protected your family, and spoiled the kids rotten."

He looked down at her as well now. "Can you see it?" he asked. "There are two sides here Cat. Could things end poorly? Yes. It could happen that all your fears come to life. But… what about the other side? All your- or should I say __my__ \- dreams… could come true." He grinned at her now, and she could picture exactly what he was describing, and she wanted it, badly.

"Holy crap, I'm an idiot."

He sniffed at her, "and you smell pretty bad too."

"Hey," she said, offended, then leaned her head down to smell herself, and made a disgusted face. "Yeah, okay."

"That's what happens when you wallow in self loathing for days on end," he told her.

She gave him a look. "A real friend would help me get water for a bath," she said with a smile, batting her lashes at him.

He rolled his eyes, then stopped, looking at her in question. "Fenris gets you water, doesn't he?" he asked, and she grinned at him. "The things I do to keep up with him," he muttered as he stood up. Then found himself with his arms full of Cat.

"I wish I could say I wasn't scared anymore, but I am. I told him every fault I have, and he just stood there while I left. Maybe he's rethinking all this."

"Or maybe he was just letting you get all the asinine comments out in one go," he replied dryly. "You'll never know until you see him."

"You're right." She hugged him tightly. "Thank you Anders. I love you too."

* * *

Having a new determination to make things right didn't take away her anxiety. __I don't remember when I started always looking for the ways things could go wrong…__ she thought. __But, that ends today.__

She spent far longer in the bath that she normally would, but then again, taking a bath was more of a luxury than an everyday happenstance. When she first arrived in Thedas, she thought she would die from being dirty all the time, but eventually she became used to cleaning with a bowl of water and a towel.

Now that the days were heading towards summer, she didn't worry overtly about going out with damp hair, something she would never do in the winter. But she wanted to get rid of the butterflies in her stomach, whether the end result was good or bad, she wanted to have it done, and drying her hair by the fire would take much longer than she was prepared to wait.

Braiding her hair into a thick tail, she noted that it was a few inches shy of her waist, and she was probably due for a trim. While she enjoyed the length, pretty soon she would start sitting on her hair when she took a seat, and it was easier to simply trim it then to remember to move it out of the way first.

Smiling to herself at her own attempts at distraction, she called out to Anders, and they left the mansion. Grabbing his arm, and asking about what his plans for the clinic were in the future, they made their way to Lowtown, enjoying each others' company.

Stepping inside the Hanged Man, Cat's mouth went dry as her nerves returned. Anders must have felt her stiffen, for he patted the arm that was threaded through his own. "You can do this," he said, leaning over to speak in her ear, so she would hear him.

They moved over to the table, and Cat noted with a small amount of relief that it was only Varric and Isabela seated there.

"Blondie, Little Dove," Varric greeted them as they sat down. "Nice of you to come out again," he smirked at Cat.

"Kitty, I swear, you're becoming more like the girl I first met than the woman I've spent the last few years with," Isabela stated with exasperation. "Where did all this self-doubt come from anyway?" she asked. She leaned her elbow on the table and gave Cat a wink. "I think I need to contact a certain elf to get you back in line."

"Oh come on Rivaini, we can help just as well as Broody can," Varric said, misunderstanding whom Isabela was referring to.

"I don't know Issy," Cat replied to Isabela. "I guess all this has me thinking about the future, and I freak myself out." She saw all three of them give her varying degrees of exasperated looks, and she shrugged. "I didn't say it was a good thing," she muttered.

"You're entitled to your feelings Little dove," Varric replied, "Did you and Hawke fight?" he asked curiously.

"Not exactly," she answered.

"It doesn't matter," Anders said to Varric, trying to stop the prying. "She'll fix it."

"Oh?" Isabela asked, intrigued. "How will you do that?"

It wasn't that she wanted to share… it was more of putting off being strong for just a little longer. "Well, before…"

"Yes?" Varric and Isabela asked, leaning forward.

She gave a self depreciating chuckle, and shrugged. "I may have given him all the reasons why he shouldn't want me."

They looked puzzled for a moment. "Ah, I see," Isabela said, sitting back.

"As if there were such reasons," Varric stated loyally. "He couldn't possibly do better anywhere else."

"That's sweet Varric," Isabela smirked. "But we all know how stubborn Kitty can be." Cat nodded at Varric, glad that Isabela wasn't seeing through rose colored glasses like the others were.

"You say that like Hawke isn't," he countered.

"True, but that only makes it worse, seeing as Kitty won't let him have his way. It could lead to fighting over ridiculous things." She glanced at Cat before continuing. "Not to mention Kitty's D.I.D. issues."

"Hey!" Cat broke in. "That's not fair!"

"D.I.D.?" Varric asked, bewildered. He looked over at Anders, who was laughing. "Did I miss something?"

"Stands for damsel in distress," he replied, still chuckling. He toasted his friend with the glass he was given by the server. "Cat can't stand having to be rescued."

"I just think I've had my fair share, thank you very much," she snipped back. "You'd hate it too if you were constantly being saved by everyone you traveled with! Even the dog was coming to my rescue!"

"It was one of the big, motivating factors for her to learn to fight, back on the ship," Isabela reminisced with a laugh. "She kept refusing help for anything, even to the point of hurting herself."

"Interesting," Varric said with a grin, making a note on the paper in front of him.

"I've gotten better," she muttered, taking Anders' wine and drinking half of it.

"Yes, you have," Isabela relented. "But you're still a prude. Maybe you were right to scare Hawke off."

Cat glared at her friend. "Not cool, Issy…" she said, noting the men were trying to keep from laughing.

"What else would you call it?" Isabela immediately replied. "You've been with one man your entire life, and because he couldn't give you any pleasure, you've decided that you don't deserve any. I can't think of a better word, except perhaps fool."

Cat's face became stormy, hearing herself being called a fool for the second time that day. "There's more to life than seeking pleasure," she shot back, only for Isabela to grin.

"That's true for some," she conceded. "It's good to see you haven't smothered all your fire," she commented, and turned to Varric. "I miss the girl who would go swimming everyday without her clothes."

Varric looked like he had been given a present, and starting scribbling, Anders looked scandalized, and Cat quickly defended herself. "I was wearing smalls!" she said loudly, not noticing that others in the room turned to look. "I didn't have any other clothes!"

"And the time that you answered the door wearing only a shirt?" Isabela continued, not listening to Cat's protests.

"I had just gotten out of bed!"

"Or seducing three men at once?"

"I was providing a distraction to get you out of trouble, if you'll recall!" Cat replied, though she now was laughing.

"Show's over," Isabela called out, much to the dismay of the room. She leaned back in, speaking more softly. "You've got it in you Kitty," she said with a kind and sincere smile. "You can be anything you want, get anything you want. You just have to try."

Cat returned the smile, not having realized she needed another pep talk, but boy, had she needed it. "I can do that, Issy," she replied.

"Good," came the response. "Quit trying to go back to being Rina. Be Cat. She's much better."

Cat nodded and grinned at the three of them.

"I'm going to have to have someone explain all this later," Varric said with a smirk. "All I can say is, can you get Hawke back to his normal self? I'm tired of seeing him upset."

Cat grabbed Anders' cup again, though he didn't protest. "You bet I can," she replied, and took another swallow before returning it. "I can't promise it won't ever happen again though. I can be pretty… what was the word? Foolish?"

"Can't we all?" Anders replied. "Now go find him."

"Kitty?" Isabela said as Cat stood up. "Don't bother talking, just jump him, eh?" She gave Cat a wink.

"We'll see…" Cat replied with a secretive smile, and headed out the door.

"Well! That was a lucrative conversation," Varric said as he looked down at his notes. He decided he needed to start keeping blank pages with his paperwork. The contract he had drawn up earlier would now have to be redone. "Why haven't you told any of these stories before?" he demanded of Isabela.

"She wasn't ready," she said vaguely, calling for another round.

* * *

Her pep talk brought her all the way to Hawke's door, and she raised her hand to knock, only hesitating slightly before steeling herself to get it done. She rapped harder than she might normally have, but she knew she was nervous… and if she was honest, a little excited.

If it was anything like that last time, she might just drown in Hawke's kiss, as she had been tempted to do before.

The door opened, and Bodahn showed her in to the foyer. "Hello Miss Cat, what can we do for you this evening?" he asked cheerily.

"I came to see Hawke," she replied, her fingers clenching together to keep herself grounded.

"Ah," he replied, looking behind them. "Master Hawke is working I'm afraid. I'm happy to announce you… just… don't be upset if he… ignores us."

Cat smiled at the dwarf. "No need to announce me, Bodahn, I've been helping with all the letters, so I'll just take my place and get to work."

"Oh, well, that's good then," he answered with a smile in return. "If you can get him to take a break, I'll have Orana put out food. He's been working for a very long while this time."

"I'll do my best," Cat promised, following Bodahn into the living room. She stepped into the room, but hung back, watching as Bodahn continued on. Looking around, she noted the soft glow from the embers of the fire, a large cushion in front of it, where Hafter had undoubtedly been at some point.

She looked for the mabari, but didn't see him anywhere, and her gaze landed on Hawke. She took in the state of his hair, wondering at how it got to be stuck up in all directions. His hand came up, ruffling through it, and she smiled as she now understood.

She began moving towards him, her nerves coming back to life as she did. __Did I wear the right thing? What if he's angry? What if-__

She stopped, seeing his head come up, as if he sensed her. He looked left then right before turning to look behind him. His eyes rested on her, and he just stared.

"Uh… hi," she said, a timid smile on her face. His eyebrow rose in question, but he remained silent, and she took a deep breath, releasing it. __Seems he won't make this easy for me.__

Deciding to lead with her feelings, instead of her head, she walked closer, trying to gauge his reactions. He gave her nothing, but turned his chair to face her, and sat back down, watching her walk to him.

* * *

Hawke thought he could stay angry, but really all he felt was raw, like a large gaping wound that hadn't begun to heal. He was surprised that she was here, he thought he would have to chase after her again, and in fact had been ready to do so days ago when his mother stopped him.

He knew he was reckless, and she pointed out that he wasn't taking her feelings into consideration, only his own. She had finally told him to let Cat make the choice, but after days of waiting, he had given her an ultimatum. One more night, and then he'd find her.

 _ _Had she somehow known?__ he asked himself. __I hadn't spoken of it to anyone, so it wasn't as if she were told__ __to come.__ He continued to puzzle through his thoughts as she drew nearer. He feared he was about to break down and beg, so he held on tightly to the frustration he was feeling.

He felt he had done what he could, but even he couldn't break through self hatred. __What in Andraste's pyre had happened, that she couldn't see what a treasure she was? And how can I possibly make her see?__

He was still, even as she came to his side, and looked down at him, smiling slightly, and he could see she was staring at his head. He rolled his eyes as he imagined just what his hair looked like, and reached up to smooth it down.

"I like it," she said, reaching out to brush through it, batting his hand away. "Not everyday maybe, but it gives you a somewhat wild look."

He groaned inwardly at her touch, and winced at how rough his voice came out. "Why are you here Cat?"

She flinched back, and he almost apologized, but he needed to know. It felt imperative that he understood what had brought her here, to him.

* * *

Cat looked down, realizing that she was biting her lip, and immediately stopped. She didn't want to try to seduce him, that wasn't what this was. This was about apologizing, and seeing if perhaps she wasn't too late.

"I discovered something today," she said, moving away to pace in front of him, seeing the question on his face. "Being called a fool is something I despise," she continued. "But even worse than that, is actually acting like one."

She stopped and looked up defiantly. "I can't apologize for what I said, because it was the truth. But I can apologize for not believing in myself, or you."

She could see he was trying to follow her, but didn't quite get it, so she searched for a way to word what she was feeling.

"My friend Steven, courted me for over a year, and eventually I loved him. We were married, and after that, he hurt me. Constantly. I didn't want to ever put myself in that position again."

She looked away, his lack of expressions making it difficult to continue. "I acted like a fool before, because I was scared, Garrett." She looked back to him, seeing him gazing at her, though she couldn't quite tell what he was feeling. Taking a leap into the unknown she continued. "I'm scared… because what I felt for him pales in comparison… to what I feel for you."

She saw him jolt, as if he had been struck, and her head tilted as she looked at him. "I'm sorry that I've compared you with him, but he's all I've known, I haven't had other relationships."

He held his hand up, and she stopped, deflating. __I am too late…__ she thought miserably.

"This man," he said slowly, rising to his feet. "is the only one you've ever been with?" he asked.

She sighed. "Yes."

"He hurt you?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"It was a long time ago, but yes, at the time, it hurt."

"If I ever meet the cursed whorespawn, I will end him."

She frowned. "He doesn't deserve death, you know..." she shook her head. "Off topic. The point is… you were right." She moved closer, keeping her eyes on him. He looked down, his eyebrow raising again in question.

 _ _Perhaps Issy had the right idea after all,__ she thought. "I __do__ want you," she explained as she reached for him, bringing her lips to his, and her arms around his neck.

She had thought that he might pull away, but he simply reached around to pull her closer. Her hands roamed up into his hair, gripping as she felt herself being moved.

* * *

It was as if he had been starving, and she was his meal. He took over the moment her lips touched his, turning to get a better angle. He pulled her closer, and still felt as if she were too far away. Her nails scraped at his skin as she moved her hands into his hair, and he had to remind himself to breathe- to let her breathe, as he devoured her.

His hands were already on her hips, pulling her into him, and he bent lower to reach her thighs, lifting her up, even as he backed up to his seat. He almost missed it in his haste, but he adjusted easily and with Cat on his lap, went back to concentrating on her.

He let her breathe again, his mouth searching for skin. The taste of wine on her tongue was nothing compared to the headiness of her neck, and he took his time, savoring the sensation.

He couldn't decide which thrilled him more, the sound of her moaning, or of his name coming from her. He was eager, that he could admit without hesitation, however he reminded himself of two things. One- they were in the main room of the house, hardly in private, and two- it had become painfully clear that night, that she was basically, innocent.

No, she wasn't a virgin- technically, but she had never been loved thoroughly either, and as much as he wanted to just bury himself in her, he knew he needed to wait.

 _ _And… she's not making that easy…__ he thought, as her hips began rocking slightly. And then, she spoke, and his control shattered.

"Garrett, __please__."

Without further thought, he grabbed her and stood, making his way blindly to the stairs. She wasn't making that easy either, as once his lips were gone from her, she put hers on him, in the closest place she could reach, which happened to be his earlobe.

Suckling and nibbling at it, he stumbled a few times, trying to navigate his way upstairs. He was sure that his mother would come out of her room and ask what was happening, and he hoped that he was wrong as he moaned himself.

 _ _She'll be the death of me,__ he thought, gritting his teeth and trying to concentrate on walking. Reaching the top of the stairs, he moved quicker now to his room, desperate to reach it before he exploded. He felt triumphant as he made it over the threshold, and using his foot, closed the door behind him.

He and Cat both stopped, frozen, hearing the growling and snarling. Putting Cat down was a challenge, but the haze of lust was quickly dispelled, and she put her feet down, and turned to see what the commotion was.

Hawke stepped in front of her, looking over to his mabari. "Hafter? You okay?" he asked calmly, uncertain of what had gotten into the dog.

"Um…" Cat whispered. "I think there's something in the wardrobe," she said, and he looked at his dog again, noting that he wasn't stopping them, he was __shielding__ them.

"What have you found boy?" he asked. __If it's a rat or something, he's sleeping in the kitchen for a week.__

"Please don't open the door," a voice called from his wardrobe, and Hawke became much more alert.

"You caught a burglar?!" Hawke asked, astonished… and angry. "Who would dare?!"

The wardrobe opened, and a simple looking man exited. "I can't stay in there any longer, my legs are cramping! Please Champion, just let me go!" He looked equally terrified of Hawke as Hafter, and Hawke glared at him.

He could feel Cat shaking behind him, and he turned his head to look at her. She buried her face in his back, but he could hear her muffled chuckles. __She finds this funny?!__

"You can't seriously expect me to just let you walk out of here," Hawke replied angrily.

"I was seduced by crime from a very young age serah," he said, hanging his head, and cowering away from Hafter. "but your guard monster has scared me towards the path of honest work!"

Hawke glowered. __No burglar could be this idiotic.__ "I should sic my mabari on you, is what should happen."

"But-"

"I could count to five, give you a sporting chance," he said, enjoying tormenting the guy for interrupting them.

"One…"

"Wait, but-"

"Two…"

"Ahhh!" the burglar yelled, running from the room.

"Three four five!" Hawke called out, and Hafter ran after him. Cat looked on with pride, seeing Hafter loping after the man, without trouble.

"He looks so much better," she commented, and Hawke turned, grabbing her again.

"You look even better," he said, and she smiled ruefully.

"Come on, we've got to take him to the guard, otherwise there will be others that try again."

He frowned at her. "Are you saying we're not doing what we were about to do?" he demanded.

"It won't take very long, come on, let's go," she said, moving away before he could grab her again. "It's a nice evening, it'll be fun!"

"Fun…" he grumbled, following after her.

* * *

"This is your idea of fun?" he growled at her, and she grinned.

The more Hawke grumbled, the happier Cat became. The moment had passed, and they both knew it, but he just continued to complain about his misfortune. He had tried blaming Hafter, but she had squashed that immediately, saying how grateful she was that they didn't have an audience, and he couldn't disagree.

He might not have thought so, but for her, it __was__ fun. The man didn't put up a fight as Hafter corralled him to the Keep, while she and Hawke followed along behind them. It was a warm night, and she had grabbed Hawke's hand.

She still had random thoughts of things that could go wrong, but she shoved them away each and every time. Even the thought of things ending badly made her heart ache, but she had been hurting for the past while anyway, and if there was no way to escape the pain, then she'd take as much joy as she could along the way.

She watched as Hawke spoke to the guard, handing over custody of the burglar, and she marveled at what an amazing man he was.

"What?" he asked, as he came back to her, and they turned to leave.

"You're pretty impressive, that's all," she said happily.

"Hmm, I'll have to find more burglars, if this is the reaction I get," he teased.

"Oh please," she smirked. "If you had found him any other time, you probably would have let him go."

He frowned, but then shrugged. "Yeah, probably, though I still would have had Hafter chase him around a bit first," he said, and they laughed.

She pulled closer to him, and smiled up at him. "So, should we continue where we left off?" she asked.

"I think…" he replied, "that I'll walk you home."

She knew her face showed her confusion, but thinking it over, decided it was probably better. After all, she had the house to herself, unlike him. And Anders was most likely still in Lowtown. "All right," she finally replied.

They walked through the streets, people greeting their champion as they went. "Is it always like this?" she asked him.

"Usually," he replied. "Everyone knows who I am now. It's much harder to be inconspicuous."

"Maybe for you," she teased, "but I'm still a nobody."

"You were never a nobody," he replied, and she smiled. "But, I'm fairly certain the rumors I've been hearing mean that you're already noticed."

"You heard them too?" she asked with a laugh. "Can you believe what people come up with?"

"We can't help that we're so interesting…" he drawled, and she chuckled, as she moved to open the door. She went to walk in, but was pulled back. Looking over, she noted Hawke wasn't moving toward the door.

"Aren't you coming in?" she asked, puzzled.

"Not tonight," he replied, lifting her hand with his, to kiss her knuckles. "I think the wiser course would be to take our time."

"Take our time?" she asked, perplexed. "That wasn't exactly what I was getting from you earlier."

"I'm not going to say I wasn't disappointed," he said, smirking at her. "But thinking on it, I'm glad we were interrupted."

"Oh really?" she said, moving closer to him, even as he backed up a step.

"I'm a man, not a priest," he said. "But I want to do right by you Cat."

"Well then, come in and show me," she said with a smile.

"And while I would absolutely love to… I want to wait."

"You… you do?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes," he replied. "After tonight, I'm certain you want me, but I want more than that."

"More?" she asked, eyes wide. __What could that be?__ she thought.

He smiled, bringing her hand up to his lips again. "Yes. I want your trust, with everything. I want to know that when you and I are together, there won't be old ghosts lingering."

"Hawke, I don't feel that way for him anymore," she said. "I don't understand."

"When I have you," he answered, kissing her hand, "you won't think about how it had been before." He kissed her hand again. "You won't compare me with him," he kissed her again, "in fact you won't think about him at all."

"I promise," she replied huskily, "when you touch me, I don't think about __anything__."

He grinned, but it wasn't quite enough. He didn't want her to think of him afterward either.

"We'll take it slow," he said, leaning forward to kiss her properly, though quickly. "Will you come to me tomorrow?" he asked. "I'd like to finish those letters, and plan a day away from being Champion, for all of us."

"Of course," she replied, still unsure of how everything had flipped on its head.

"Then I'll see you in the morning. Good night, darling."

"Good night," she said, moving toward the door after he nudged her along. She turned back as she went to close it, noting that he was still watching her, waiting to leave until she was inside. Closing the door with a smile, she turned to lean against it, doubting she would get any sleep that night.


	74. Chapter 74- It's All New

__One of life's greatest mysteries__ , Cat decided, __was how being happy could take the place of sleep.__ She had perhaps gotten a few hours, and normally, that would mean everyone should duck and cover. Today, however, all she felt was… happy.

The door in front of her opened, and she grinned. "Good morning, Leandra," she greeted her, and she was gestured in with a nod and a smile.

"Cat, it's so good to see you again. I have been meaning to speak with you on a few things." Cat's eyebrows rose, wondering what she meant.

"Uh, okay," Cat replied.

"Don't worry dear, it is nothing to worry about," Leandra teased her. "Can you spare a few minutes? I can have Orana make tea?"

"Certainly," she answered. "I came to meet up with Garrett, but we never decided on a specific time, so I'm flexible."

"Wonderful! Come with me, then." Leandra pulled her along into the kitchen. "Orana, will you make tea for two please?" she asked the elf that was tidying up from breakfast.

"Of course mistress," Orana replied happily. "It's nice to see you again Lady Cat," she greeting her.

"Orana," Cat rolled her eyes. "Just Cat, not lady, remember?"

"Of course," Orana replied as she always did, and Cat smiled.

 _ _I'll out-stubborn you on this one Orana…__ she thought.

Sitting at the table with Leandra, Cat got herself comfortable, and waited for Leandra to speak.

"I just want to say," Leandra began with a smile, "it was quite obvious to me that something happened, since Garrett couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear this morning." She held up her hand before Cat could say anything. "I'm not asking for details dear, unless you want to share, I simply wanted to thank you, and make sure that you knew that I approved."

Cat flushed, hoping she was misunderstanding what Leandra was referring to. __I can't believe she is thanking me for sleeping with her son, and of course since we didn't… What does she think happened? We're not like engaged now, are we?!__

Cat knew she was panicking, but told herself to breathe normally. __Don't freak out, don't freak out… she's gotten the wrong idea before… don't freak out…__

"Are… are you all right?" Leandra asked, concerned at how rapidly Cat was losing color.

"Uh, yes, of course!" Cat squeaked out.

"Good…" Leandra replied, still uncertain. "Ah, here's the tea, that should help soothe you."

Cat grabbed the cup like a lifeline, grateful for a distraction. "Thank you Orana," she said as she took a few sips. "It's delicious." The elf gave her a small curtsy, and went back to her chores.

"Well the reason I asked to speak with you," Leandra stated, and Cat froze as she wondered what else she would ask. "Is that the banquet is rapidly approaching, and I'd like to have your dress made, instead of borrowing one of mine."

"Uh… what?" Cat asked, confused.

"I know it's a little out of the ordinary, but I would love to do it, if you'll let me."

"You want to buy me a dress?" Cat asked, still not understanding.

"Well, technically, yes," Leandra replied. "We would go to the seamstress, choose the fabric and the style and have you measured. We'd have to return back for a fitting or two, but then yes, you would have a dress." She smiled so genuinely, that Cat couldn't have refused if she wanted to. Which, she wanted to, desperately.

"Well, all right, that sounds fine…" Cat replied. "You said it is for a banquet?" she asked.

Leandra looked at her, perplexed. "Surely you've heard? The Champion of Kirkwall banquet? The city has invited nobles from all around to honor Garrett, even from Orlais!"

"Really?" Cat asked in horror. "And you want __me__ to go?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm assuming that Garrett will want you to go with him," she mused. "He hasn't mentioned it?"

"Uh, no… not that I can recall."

"Oh, that boy… what am I going to do with him?" Leandra grumbled, causing Cat to chuckle.

"Perhaps he was being nice," Cat offered. "I don't really enjoy large crowds…"

Leandra gave her a look. "Birds of a feather then, you two." She gave a sigh, then smiled as she looked back to Cat, who instantly became wary. "Well dear, it's up to you then, I suppose. Though Garrett will __have__ to attend, and I'd hate to leave him all alone. Those nobles can practically eat you alive when they want something, you know."

"I supposed that's true…" Cat replied, noncommittally.

"He'll just suffer through it, until he can leave, and he'll swear to never go to another, just like last time. Of course he's forgetting that he'll have to dance, and speak to everyone… my poor boy…" she looked downright sad, and Cat felt herself caving.

"I mean, if __he__ wants me to go, I would be happy to…." Cat said, trying to emphasize the part about Hawke making the decision.

"Oh my dear, that's so kind of you!" Leandra practically squealed. "I just know he will be so happy to have you there by his side!"

"Uh…" Cat said, but Leandra just swept over her. "Of course, we'll need to hurry… are you free this afternoon? I can make an appointment with the seamstress!"

Cat just looked at Leandra, her face so eager and practically begging, so she smiled. __Having a dress doesn't mean I have to go after all. Something, anything, could turn up… even if I have to make something up.__ "Of course, this afternoon would be fine."

"Wonderful!" Leandra cheered, then dropped her voice. "Be sure not to mention it to Garrett. About me getting you a dress, I mean."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Cat replied dejectedly.

* * *

She finished her tea and listened to Leandra speak of the nobles in the city that she was becoming friends with. She reminded herself that Hawke could have been doing all this without his mother, and she became much more involved in the conversation.

She asked questions, and ended up getting pieces of gossip that she had no idea when she would use, but figured they had to come in handy at some point. Then, she heard the door to the kitchen open, and Hafter came straight for her and put his head in her lap.

She grinned and rubbed his head, then climbed down to kneel so she could hug him and scratch behind his ears. "How's my handsome boy?" she cooed at him, getting a bark in reply.

"I'm doing fine," Hawke replied with a smirk, as he walked into the room. "And Hafter is good too." He gave her a wink, and came over, giving his mother's shoulder a squeeze and her cheek a kiss. "And here I thought Hafter wanted a treat, not that we had company."

"I'm sorry dearest," Leandra said with a smile. "Cat is such a refreshing visitor, I simply had to take advantage."

Cat flushed slightly, but continued to give Hafter a rub down.

Hawke moved over in front of Hafter, looking down at his dog, and back to his mother. "I know we all love her, but can I have a turn please?" he asked, giving Hafter a pointed look.

Hafter barked in reply, and backed away from Cat, causing her to frown. "Of course dear," Leandra replied with a giggle. "I'm going to take Orana, and do some shopping." Hawke reached over, grabbed Cat's hand and pulled her up to stand.

"I wasn't done spoiling your mabari," Cat stated, even as she smiled at him.

"As much as I hate to stop your fun," he replied. "I don't like feeling jealous of my dog."

"Pfft," she muttered, and rolled her eyes. "Like that's possible." She went to give him a playful slap on the arm, and he caught her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

"A fact, my lady," he smirked at her. "He hasn't had to work nearly as hard for your affections."

"That's because he gives his own so freely," she quipped back. "Just a little scratch," she said, reaching up and rubbing lightly behind his earlobe, "and I get all the love I need."

Hawke grinned, snaking a hand at her waist and pulling her closer. "From what I can tell, that gets you licked, darling. Is that what you are trying to get from me?"

"Don't you dare," she warned.

His eyes lit at the challenge. Just a few moments with her and he was heated, and meant to do the same to her. But now… in an instant, his mood changed to playful.

He growled softly as he pulled her close and licked her cheek, grinning as she cursed him. He moved with her as she squirmed to get away from him, holding her against the table so she couldn't escape, and he licked her face, laughing as he got her again and again.

The moment changed again as she moved and he missed his target, licking up the side of her neck, and he heard her breath catch. He let her go, pulling himself away before he lifted her up on the table as he truly wanted to.

He stepped back, taking deep breaths, watching as she struggled to calm herself as well. Glad that he wasn't the only one affected, for that was the only way this could have been worse, in his mind. He never thought of himself as a glutton for torture, but he already wanted to go to her again, even for a moment.

So he smiled, and pushed the thought from his brain. "So darling," he said, "can you help me with the rest of the letters?"

"Sure," she replied, wondering how he could be so calm, while her heart was racing like a hamster on its wheel. "Uh, lead the way."

* * *

"I can't believe we got through them all," he stated, wadding up the last of the trash letters and tossing it behind him.

"Yes, but now we have to pick all these up," she replied, standing and taking the small metal can they were using for trash. She bent over and began picking them up.

"All part of my master plan," he said with a smirk, and she looked over, seeing him staring openly at her and her eyes narrowed.

"You know, you should be cleaning this, you made all the mess. And then I would be sitting there ogling you."

Hawke laughed, and moved over to take the can from her. "Your wish is my command," he said, gesturing to the chair. He then proceeded to bend over dramatically, ensuring that he was giving her quite the view.

Cat couldn't help but chuckle, he could be __such__ an idiot. He put the can down, and opened the top buttons on his shirt, bending at the waist to ensure she had a view of his chest, and she laughed out loud.

Picking up the last of the garbage, he placed it in the can, putting it back by the desk, and pulling her to her feet. "How was the ogling?" he asked with a large smirk. "I feel so degraded."

"As you should," she said, still laughing. "I ogled you so hard!"

He laughed with her, before pulling her with him towards the front door.

"Where are we going?" she asked, as he opened the door and took her outside to the streets.

"I wanted to make a plan, for a day away," he replied, slowing his pace, but keeping her hand in his. "But we were sitting for too long, and we needed a break."

"Garrett Hawke? Taking a break?" she asked in mock shock. "He's obviously possessed by something. Perhaps the spirit of moderation?"

"Cute," he replied. "But if you're going to joke like that, you should probably not do it out on the street."

Cat looked around. They were getting some odd looks, all right. "All right" she conceded, getting back on topic. "So what did you have in mind for your day away?" she asked.

"A day with no responsibilities," he said instantly. "No one asking for anything, no one calling me Champion. Just me and my friends for the day, and at the end, maybe walking a pretty lady home, and if I'm lucky, stealing a kiss or two."

"I think I could probably arrange that," she replied with a smile. "Though it's up to the lady whether you get a kiss."

He glanced at her, "that's why I said stealing," he replied with a smirk.

She smiled, but her mind was on the logistics of his request. "If you are truly wanting a day where no one calls you Champion… we'd probably need to go outside of the city."

"That sounds even better," he said honestly.

"We could take food with us… maybe find a place along the coast, go swimming?" she mused aloud. "A lazy day at the water, with a picnic?"

"Hmm," he grumbled.

"No?" she asked. "It's just an idea, I can think of something else."

"Swimming, I don't mind. But from what I hear, you swim naked, and while that sounds amazing!" he said with a grin and a wiggle of his eyebrows. "It's not something to share with everyone."

"Where in the world did you possibly hear that?" she said, her eyes wide. "Issy only said something yesterday, and she was said that I was swimming in my small clothes!"

"Are you sure?" he asked skeptically. "I'm well informed, you know."

"Or in other words, Varric has a big mouth," she grumbled. "I know what I swim in, and believe me, on a ship full of men and Issy, I made sure I had all the important parts covered!"

"That's one rumor I wouldn't mind making true," he said with a grin, then frowned. "It's the other men that I worry about, even in just your small clothes."

"If we're doing this with just your friends, the only men there would be Fenris, Anders and Sebastian. Two of which have seen worse, and one who made vows of chastity. And besides, Issy will probably swim naked and grab all the attention."

"Hmph," he grumbled, but nodded. "Wait, __what__?!" he whipped his head around as he realized what she said.

She rolled her eyes, thinking, __men are so predictable,__ but Hawke yelled, "Seen worse?! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Maker's balls, keep your voice down," she hissed at him, pulling him away from the people that were looking at them curiously. "Nothing like whatever it is you're thinking."

"Oh?" he asked stubbornly. "And what am I thinking?"

She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "Knowing you? Probably that I strip naked and dance around for them every chance I get."

He scowled at her. "You wouldn't do that."

"No, I wouldn't. Good to see you know that much." She rolled her eyes again. "It's nothing. Anders is my healer, and sometimes I've had to remove clothing so he can see the wounds. That's all."

He nodded, but looked at her shrewdly. "And Fenris?" he asked, not at all pleased when she flushed.

"I… uh, fell one night, getting out of the bath."

"So?" he asked, bewildered as to why she would bring that up.

She put her hand over her face, and her next words came out muffled.

"Excuse me?" he asked with a smirk, beginning to enjoy her embarrassment. __If she was this embarrassed, she must have sworn Fenris to secrecy, and never told anyone. Which meant… she is telling me so I won't be upset, because she cares.__

She moved her hand, rubbing the spot at the bridge of her nose. "I said, I tripped on the edge of the tub getting out." She gave a weary sigh. "I broke my foot, and twisted my knee. It hurt so badly that I couldn't even stand up. Fenris had to come in and rescue me. He helped me get dressed and carried me to Anders even though it was late."

"Wait, so Fenris and Anders knew about this? How did we not find out?" he said with a chuckle.

"Uh… you did. But as far as Anders and everyone else knows, Fenris and I were attacked in Lowtown, and I broke my foot when one of the thugs attacked me."

Hawke burst out laughing. "Oh Maker, I remember now! We all went searching for those men! Fenris kept us out for hours __hunting__ them!"

Cat grinned back at him. "Well, he's a very good friend, that would hate to see me embarrassed. Plus he knew you all would never let it go."

"That's true," Hawke replied, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "I can't believe you just handed over a weapon like that!"

"Well," she said with a smirk, giving him pause. "It's only fair, after everything your mother told me this morning." And she burst out laughing at the dismay on his face.

* * *

Cat followed Leandra into the shop, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Wearing a dress to a wedding was one thing. __But a banquet? Honestly, its not the dress I'm worried about. It's getting eaten alive by all the nobility that will be there.__

Leandra made introductions, and the seamstress prodded her over to a curtained off area. "Strip down," she ordered, and Cat frowned, but did as she was told. She had hardly gotten her shirt off, before the seamstress came back, followed by Leandra.

The woman tried to get her to remove her smalls also, but she utterly refused, so the woman measured anyway, pulling tightly her measuring string each time, then snipping it about 2 inches short of the mark she made.

Cat stayed quiet, figuring the woman knew her business, but Leandra spoke up. "Delilah, you can't short her like that, the dress won't fit."

Delilah, the seamstress gave a shrug. "It won't hurt her to miss a few meals," she said, and Cat was so appalled, her mouth fell open.

Leandra chuckled, and shook her head. "Cat here isn't like the noble ladies you are used to," she stressed. "She is part of the Champion's crew, and is constantly out fighting with him. Missing meals would make her weak, and she could be hurt."

Cat smiled, grateful that Leandra understood, but she was still unhappy. She didn't give a fig what shape her body was in, starving oneself wasn't any way to treat her body, and she hated that the woman said it so casually.

Delilah put her hands on her hips, and explained the basic look of the dress. "This style of dress will look simply awful with such wide hips," she said bluntly. "It is meant to flow like water, not be lumpy like rocks."

"Well let's change the style then," Cat reasoned, looking at the woman like she was crazy.

Delilah turned to look at Cat the same way. "Do you want to be shunned by the others?" she asked. " _ _This__ is the style that is current in Orlais! If we do a different one, we will be the laughing stock of all of Thedas!"

Cat rolled her eyes, as Leandra tried to calm the woman down, saying that they would of course defer to her wisdom on the matter, and Cat was faced with having to say something.

"Uh, Leandra? May I have a private word with you for a moment?" she asked pleasantly.

"Oh, of course," she replied, patting Delilah's hand. "I put a few choices of fabric on the table, will you see what you think?" she asked the seamstress, and she nodded and moved away.

"I'm sorry about this Cat, I didn't think there would be such dramatics," she said with a smile, and tilted her head in question, seeing Cat putting her clothes back on. "Dear, we're not quite done," she added.

"I'm very sorry," Cat said quietly. "But I feel that this is not going to work."

"Pardon?" Leandra asked. "What won't?"

Cat looked up, worried about what would happen, but not willing to suffer a dress she would later have to refuse to wear, or more likely, that wouldn't fit her.

"I'm afraid that I not only have no interest in starving myself to fit a dress, but the style that she has explained will not be a flattering look for me," Cat explained. "If she is only willing to make a dress in that single style, then I will need to find another seamstress."

"Oh," Leandra said, looking back to Delilah, then back to Cat. "Are you certain dear? Delilah is the best in the city, and if we leave now, we will not be able to come back."

Cat twisted her fingers around each other. "I don't want to cause that for you, Leandra," she said. "If you want to continue using Delilah, then I will stay and have her make the dress. But it seems that perhaps it will not fit when the time comes to wear it," she said with a small smile, relieved to see Leandra smile back.

"I…" she said, looking back to the woman at the front of the shop again. "I think we can get you out and still save face," she said with a wink. "Now bend over and groan a little."

"What?" Cat asked, shocked.

"You're too sick to continue, dear. Though I will warn you, there will be talk after this…"

"Anything to get out of here," Cat muttered, and immediately hung her head between her knees, giving a soft groan. She listened in amusement as Leandra explained her unexpected illness, how it was odd that it would show up so suddenly. Cat worried slightly at the gleam in the seamstress' eyes at the news, and she smiled and waved to them as they left her shop.

"Well dear, that wasn't too bad, she was disappointed to be sure, but she is already making my dress, so she will not suffer from losing the notoriety." She turned to look at Cat. "We can check with one or two other seamstresses here in Hightown, see if they can handle the extra work?" she offered.

"Actually," Cat replied, a grin forming on her face. "I think I have just the place."

* * *

 _ _Leandra is such a good sport,__ Cat thought, as she lead her through Lowtown and towards the Alienage. __While she is most definitely a noble, she has also lived as a regular person, and knows how to not be judgemental or ridiculous.__

She made her way toward the dress shop, coming upon Nyssa, who worked as an assistant there. "Hello Nyssa," she said as they walked up.

"Cat, how nice to see you again," she replied with a nod. "What can I do for you today? You haven't brought us many garments to fix recently."

Cat laughed. "It seems I've gotten better at keeping them from getting holes, haven't I?" she answered with a shrug. "Besides, I think Fenris has been taking any slightly damaged clothing to the refugees here and in Darktown, now that we can afford to replace them."

"What a wonderful man he is," Nyssa said with a smile. "Always looking out for others."

"That he does," Cat replied, then turning to Leandra, she made introductions. "Nyssa, this is Leandra, the Champion's mother."

Nyssa's eyes grew wide, and she gave a curtsy. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance mistress," she said, and Leandra smiled.

"For me as well, Nyssa," she said.

Cat continued, "Nyssa works for Serine, one of the most talented seamstresses I've met. They make most of my everyday clothing." Leandra's eyes lit up, as she understood now why they were here.

"Nyssa," Cat said, turning her attention. "It seems the city is throwing a banquet to honor the Champion, and I've been invited. Can you and Serine work a miracle and have me in a dress for the occasion?"

Nyssa's eyes went wide in anticipation. "You're not playing with me, are you?" she asked first, and getting a head shake in return, she clapped her hands in delight. "We've been hoping to make some other items for you, Cat, but a banquet gown?! Serine will be beside herself!"

Cat grinned back, "It seems all the dress makers in Hightown are trying to copy an Orlesian style, and all I ask is that we not do the same."

Nyssa's nose scrunched up as she frowned. "Why would everyone want to look the same?" she asked.

"I honestly have no idea," Cat stated.

"Since Cat will be with the Champion, we definitely want her to stand out," Leandra added, and Nyssa clapped her hands again.

"We'll make you look so beautiful!" she said, and went to fetch her string. "Now, I know that we've measured you before, but that was for everyday attire. We will want to accent your features, so I'll measure you again."

"Can I trust you to pick out the fabric as well?" Cat asked, stepping into a curtained off area, with Nyssa and Leandra waiting for her to call that she was ready.

"If that's what you'd like," Nyssa said with a nod.

"If it helps," Leandra spoke up again, though quiet enough so that her voice didn't carry, "the Champion will be wearing a deep blue colored tunic, with black pants and a black vest."

Nyssa smiled widely at Leandra. "If you'd prefer, I can deliver samples of the fabric choices for your approval," she offered, and Leandra was the one to clasp her hands together in delight.

"Since I already have the fabric for his clothing, I'll simply send you samples instead," she said with a grin. "I have no doubt they will be the talk of the banquet," she said quietly.

* * *

"Now this, is a fabulous idea," Anders said happily. "Who knew the Wounded Coast had such places?"

Isabela and Cat looked at each other with a smirk. "We did," they replied.

"Remember, we crashed out here," Cat said. "And had to find the way to town. That meant passing by all sorts of places. In fact, that cave over there, is where I spent my first night here in Kirkwall."

"I went further inland," Isabela offered. "There was a dreadnought full of Qunari hot on my trail after all."

Cat looked around, smiling. She had taken Isabela and Anders on a search for the right place for Hawke's vacation day, and it had seemed that Isabela was right. Cat had worried that it wasn't secluded enough, but she hadn't really paid attention the last time she was here.

"So, this will work then?" she asked them, getting nods back in return.

"With the warm days here now, the water will feel wonderful," Anders replied. "And the idea of having an entire day with no demands of us? It feels almost too good to be true."

"That's what you get for being generous all the time," Isabela smirked at him. "People will always be asking for more."

"And I'm happy to do so," Anders replied, his face tilted up to the sun and his eyes closed as he breathed in the fresh air. "But as a healer, I know how important time for yourself is."

"I think you need more than you are getting," Cat mused, and Anders ignored her.

"So Kitty," Isabela started with a smirk. "It's just me and Anders…"

"Yeah?" Cat asked, with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't you think it's time to share?" she demanded, her hands on her hips, and staring at Cat.

" _ _She means…"__ Anders interrupted pointedly, "that you've been curiously quiet since the other night."

"Hey, I mean what I say," Isabela argued back.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Cat replied, sitting down in the sand, still gazing out at the water. "It's still new, and… well there really isn't much to tell."

"Are you kidding me?!" Isabela grumbled. "Look Kitty, you can't be positively sure on these types of things. Sometimes you have to just take a leap! And you should definitely leap on Hawke every chance you get!"

Cat chuckled, as Anders and Isabela started arguing over her lack of tact. "Actually," she said, causing them to look over at her. "Hawke is the one that decided to take things slow."

"What?!" They said in unison, and Cat grinned.

"Something about making sure there were no skeletons from old relationships around. He got the feeling that I was comparing him to Steven," she replied.

They came over and sat on either side of her. "And… were you?" Anders asked.

She shrugged. "Probably. It's not that I am choosing to do so, I just don't have a lot of experience to fall back on… just Steven."

"I think you're missing the point here Kitty," Isabela said, and Cat looked over.

"I am?" she asked, confused. "He was pretty specific, Issy."

Isabela rolled her eyes. "The __point__ is, he doesn't want you comparing anything at all."

Cat frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He has never been with you before either," Isabela continued. "No matter what experience you bring to the table, this is new, and you should treat it like such. Both of you."

"It's new and exciting, and it sounds like he wants you both to muddle through things together, not thinking what will work and won't work based on other people you've been with," Anders added thoughtfully.

"Hmm," Cat mused. "I guess I didn't think of it that way." She glanced on either side of her. "But I wasn't thinking of any of that when I asked him to stay with me, and he said he wanted to wait."

Isabela merely smirked, as Anders choked on something and started coughing. "He really did?" he finally got out.

"Yes," Cat replied, frowning again. "He said we're going to take things slow, which I can appreciate, but…"

"Well Kitty," Isabela said, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "The only advice I'll give is… don't let other people decide what is right for you. If he wants to take things slow because that's what __he__ wants, fine. If he's doing it because he thinks that's best for you?" She looked over with a fierce grin. "You set him straight. You decide what's best for you."

Cat smiled in return, remaining quiet as they looked out at the water. She had a lot to think about.


	75. Chapter 75- The Champion's Banquet

Cat glanced at the dress, uncertain. It was beautiful, all in all, from the deep royal blue color, to the flowing lines, and bell sleeves.

 _ _B... but the neckline!__ she stammered, even in her own thoughts, looking down again at the gaping vastness of what she couldn't logically call a neckline, since it would end somewhere around her navel.

The neck itself had a high collar, and the dress look fitted, with a cinched waist, and flowing out from there. The color was amazing, and she wondered how much the fabric alone had cost since it felt smooth as silk.

"Come on then," Serine said with a smile. "Let's try it on, shall we?"

"You've outdone yourself," Cat replied. "I can't do justice to it."

"We'll see," Serine said with a smile, and helped Cat into the dress.

The sleeves were fitted as well, until just before her elbows where they belled out, the bottom end of which hung almost to the floor when her arms were lowered. The shoulders had diamond patterned cut outs that were embellished with embroidery in an intricate pattern in the same color as the dress. The embroidery was also along the neckline, spanning out across her chest in swirls of leaves, giving the feeling of opulence rather than wantonness.

"Wow," Cat marveled as she looked down. The dress was so expertly fitted, the opening wasn't nearly what she feared it would be, in fact there was barely an inch of skin showing between the edges of fabric. She looked back up and into the mirror. "This is amazing!" she said with a grin.

Serine was on her knees, pulling up the fabric to mark the hemline, but she looked up at Cat with pride. "One of my finest works, I will admit gladly."

"The question that remains," Cat replied, "is whether you want me to tell everyone that you made it." Serine looked at her in question. "Or should I wait and only tell those that would make good customers?" she added with a grin. "Some of those nobles I am certain you do __not__ want in your shop."

"I'll leave that to your discretion then," she answered, moving around her, marking the line with pins as she went. "I am more glad that Mistress Hawke was able to help us procure the supplies," she continued. "Our fabric choices were quite limited."

"I love your fabrics," Cat said loyally. "This is definitely something that cannot be worn often, and knowing me, it isn't practical at all."

"Just don't put holes in it, and I'll be happy."

Cat laughed, trying to stand still. "I'll do my best," she said.

* * *

She couldn't believe that she was heading into the Keep of all places for a banquet. __I suppose its only one of a couple buildings that are large enough to have such a party,__ she thought.

Since it was a surprise for Hawke, the only one she had told ahead of time was Aveline. However, she had waylaid her friends, and they had all helped her get ready for tonight. Now she accompanied Aveline and Donnic through Hightown.

She smiled as she remembered the wishes of good luck she had received from Anders and Merrill, as well as the words of advice from Isabela. __Don't worry Issy, I fully intend to__ , __once I get over my nerves.__

"Walking slower isn't going to work forever," Aveline said dryly, snapping Cat from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Cat apologized again. "I suppose I'm just nervous. You two are lucky, you get to wear your armor." She glanced down again in concern. "Are you certain this dress isn't too much?"

"Donnic?" Aveline asked her husband, whose arm she was on. "Since she won't believe me, perhaps we need a man's perspective?"

Donnic leaned over, looking at Cat, and gave her a smile. "It depends on what you are trying to accomplish," he replied, and at Cat's anguished look, he chuckled. "If you are trying to have Hawke's eyes stay on you the entire evening, then I would have to say, mission successful."

"You see?" Aveline said.

"Of course, if you also want to have all the other women jealous, well that's the dress to make it happen," he continued, and Aveline elbowed him.

"Too much," she muttered.

"Just being honest," he murmured in reply.

"Thank you," Cat said with a tight smile. "I suppose I just want to know that I'm not over dressed."

Aveline gave her an incredulous look. "You know there will be Orlesians here, right?" she asked. "I don't believe I've ever met someone that could out overdress an Orlesian."

Cat joined in their laughter, as they made their way up the stairs. "If I haven't mentioned it yet, I'm really glad I'm not walking in alone."

"There are worse things than being an escort," Aveline replied, her smile softening her words.

"It's been nice to spend time with you as well, Cat," Donnic replied, giving his wife a nudge.

"If you were here just because of the guard, that might be true," Cat smirked at them. "But since you're also one of the Champions' guests, you're definitely not my escort."

"Then you will be fine walking in on your own," Aveline said, causing her to look back in panic, and both she and Donnic snickered.

"I guess I will," Cat replied, her pride getting in the way of her comfort, her spine straightening. "I'll see you later," she said, moving through the crowd to find Hawke. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could get him home where she wanted him.

"Good luck!" Aveline called with a grin.

Cat gave a sassy wave back, and made her way through the crowd, looking for a friendly face. She was stopped a few times, asked about her dress, or her family, or even the Champion, and gave vague answers each time.

"Catarina, what a surprise," she heard and turned toward the voice, even as she dreaded doing so.

"Knight Commander, a pleasure, I'm sure," she replied, masking her sarcasm as best she could.

"I wasn't aware that you had an invitation," Meredith said snidely.

"Oh, are you here for security then?" Cat asked, no longer masking her disdain. "Keeping out those that would crash the party?"

Meredith's glare was harsh, but she kept her voice calm. "We all must be vigilant, with all of our nobles and influential people visiting from other countries, there will undoubtedly be those that cause trouble."

"We have completed our sweep of the area Knight Commander," Cullen spoke as he came near. "No issues at this time."

"Good," Meredith replied, turning away and ignoring Cat. "Start again, and report once you have finished." Having said that, she walked away.

"Must you antagonize her?" Cullen asked Cat with a lopsided smile once Meredith was out of earshot. "It tends to make my life more difficult."

Cat rolled her eyes, and went to reply, but the look on Cullen's face had her stopping, and looking at herself. Looking back up, she asked, "what is it? Is my makeup smudged across my face or something?"

Cullen shook his head, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. "No, nothing like that. I suppose it is a bit strange to see you looking like this. Uh, I mean, so nice."

"Thank you?" she said in question, understanding he was trying to compliment her. "I was told I needed to dress up for the occasion."

"Oh, are you here with someone then? Or just to support our new Champion?" he asked.

"Uh, both, I suppose," she said. "Hey, can I ask you a favor?" she said suddenly.

"Of… of course," he replied.

"Well, I know this probably isn't the best time, but I've been meaning to ask if you would consider sparring with me on some of our visits?"

"Sparring?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes," she replied excitedly. "Aveline is the only sword and shield user that I can spar with, and I feel like I'm not getting a well rounded idea of what they are capable of, since she has a specific style and all," she continued. "It would be amazing if I had someone else to help me."

He flushed as she grinned up at him, rubbing his neck unconsciously again.

"We could even go to my house!" she added. "Fenris and I cleared out the large dining room to use for sparring."

Cullen found himself wanting to say yes, but wondering at the same time if those in their lives would even permit him to continue to see her at all.

Cat looked at him in concern, her head tilting slightly. "Cullen?" she asked quietly. "Are you all right?"

He blinked a few times, focusing back in to what she was saying.

"Oh, yes. I am fine."

"Good," she replied, reaching out to place her hand on his arm. "I'm here if you ever need me, okay?"

He smiled down at her, grateful and uncertain as to why he was feeling so emotional. Perhaps it was the memories.

Even as she looked now, she couldn't compare to how beautiful he remembered her being when he first met her. Being tortured first by the mages, then by his own thoughts, she had arrived and broken him free of the cage he was in.

Seeing her again here in Kirkwall, he had felt as though the Maker had blessed him; and while he had misunderstood at the time, he had come to realize what part she would play in his life- or more importantly, his part in hers.

He could never repay what she had done for him, that was a certainty. However, he would continue to try, by giving her everything she wanted, __no, deserved__ __in her life,__ he thought. __And if that means the obnoxious Champion… so be it.__

"Thank you Cat," he finally replied. "You are a good friend." She smiled widely at him, and he returned it. "Now, I think we should walk a bit, don't you agree?" he asked, offering her his arm.

"Sure," she replied, lacing hers through his, and he set off in a roundabout way to his goal.

 _ _After all,__ he thought, __one look from the Champion will tell me all I need to know.__

* * *

 _ _I need Cullen to teach me how to slip away from those he doesn't want to speak with,__ Cat thought with amusement. He seemed to speak few words, yet gave the people around them what they wanted to hear, and was off again. Cat hoped the skill would rub off on her eventually.

"Have you seen the statue down by the docks?" she heard someone ask.

"Positively ghastly," another voice replied.

"Not to mention inaccurate," another said. "Why, they put a sword in his hands, I cannot fathom!"

Cat turned to Cullen. "So the statue is completed then?" she asked.

He glanced down at her. "Yes, it is," he answered.

"You've seen it?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Cullen…" she rolled her eyes at him. "I need details, not one worded answers!"

He chuckled, even as he continued to move her around the room. "I believe the artist brought the clay model here tonight," he said. "The one that was approved by the chantry, and used to make the statue itself."

"Oh, I want to see it," she said excitedly.

"The statue itself, you can see the next time you visit. It is right by the boat that brings you to the Gallows after all."

"That will be great!" she replied, grinning up at him. She leaned in closer, and he leaned in as well, she obviously wanted to say something privately. "So… where are you shepherding me, Cullen?" she asked, and he chuckled.

"Shepherding?" he replied, still leaning near her, so she could hear him. "My lady, I would never." She gave him a look that said she didn't believe him, but he was almost at his destination, so he didn't reply.

Cat stopped speaking as well, having heard a voice that she recognized, and she looked around for Varric. Cullen was leading her right to him, and she was a little confused, because he was still leaning over her a bit. She glanced up at him, but he was looking away, so she focused on hearing what Varric was saying.

"Knight Captain, what a pleasure," she heard a woman say, and she wondered if Cullen would scurry them away as he had before.

"Well I wanted to add my congratulations, for it is well deserved," Cullen replied, and Cat glanced over at him, completely forgetting Varric as she tried to look around him. He had turned his back to her, blocking whoever he was speaking to from view, and she was burning with curiosity.

"That's very kind," the woman said.

"I brought something, hoping to mend the rift between us even if only a little," Cullen said, and Cat was ready to push him aside when he moved of his own accord, and she looked up to see Leandra and Hawke- who was gaping at her.

* * *

Hawke saw the Knight Captain approach, and rolled his eyes at Varric, who suddenly had a gleam in his and a smirk on his face. He listened halfheartedly as his mother spoke pleasantries with him, and rolled his eyes again with a scowl at the man's blatant mockery of congratulations.

When he spoke of mending a rift, Hawke wondered what the templar had done to his mother, and turned to face him… and stopped.

He was fairly certain his ears stopped working, for he no longer could hear what the others were saying. He just thanked the Maker that his eyes were still all right, as he drank in the sight of her.

He swallowed hard, wondering why she was here, and with a frown wondered if she came with Cullen. Something was bubbling in his gut, and he surprisingly didn't worry about striking the man down with a spell in front of all these witnesses, when Cullen nudged Cat forward right before him.

A stray thought about mending fences began to wiggle about in his brain, but he shooed it away. He only wanted to think of the vision before him.

He wished he had the words. Eloquent and lovely words to tell her. Words inspired by her hair, which had some sort of intricate braiding to pull back from her face, leaving the rest flowing down behind her.

Words to say how her eyes sparkled, and looked as rare and beautiful as the pools of silvery orichalcum he had seen once before.

His eyes moved down, the deep and yet bright blue of her dress contrasting to the ivory of her skin, which for the most part was covered but for a tantalizing peek down her front. He saw the small, white line of her scar, before his eyes feasted on the small piece of skin he had not seen before.

He felt something shift, and knew. He stepped closer, as his eyes came back to hers.

* * *

Cat flushed, though not from embarrassment. The look in his eyes was scorching, and her skin was trying to get rid of the heat inside her before she went up in flames. She made a mental note to thank every single person that helped to get her here, and in this dress, just so she could have this moment.

She saw him glance over at Cullen, who stepped back at the look. He returned his focus to her, and she smirked without even meaning to. She could feel it, and could see that he did too, though she didn't feel scared or overwhelmed this time as it growled… __hers.__ He was hers… and she was his.

He stepped forward again, and she marveled at his control, though she could see the desire in his eyes. He took her hand, and brought it up, as if he would kiss it, and she stepped closer still as he spoke in hushed tones.

"I warned you before, I am only a man," he murmured, closing the gap to kiss her hand.

She smiled warmly, feeling brave and free. Remembering his original warning, she replied, "I know what I want, and that is not a priest," feeling powerful as she saw his eyes darken further. He stepped back slightly, looking over her dress again, and she found herself wishing she had surprised him at home, instead of here.

He blinked in surprise, and his hand went to her shoulder. She looked over as his hand moved over the embroidery there. She looked at him in confusion, bewildered by his behavior.

He turned to his mother, smiling slightly, and raising an eyebrow in question. She smiled widely and nodded, even as she stepped forward to greet Cat.

"You look even more lovely than I imagined," she said, and Cat felt tears pricking her eyes.

"Thank you, for giving me a push," she said, reaching out to give her a hug. "It means more than you know," she added in her ear before pulling back.

Leandra patted Cat's hand, and put it back into Garrett's outstretched one, watching as they stepped away, arm in arm.

"Now that is a sight," she heard, and she looked over to see Garrett's friend Varric.

"They're beautiful together," she added with a smile for the dwarf.

"Please tell me you had something to do with this," Varric asked with a gleam in his eye.

"A lady never reveals her secrets master dwarf," Leandra replied with a grin.

"And the Knight Captain?" he asked, and they both turned in time to see the templar turn and walk away, neither missing the wistful expression before it disappeared.

"A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one," she answered.

"Oh the possibilities," Varric said in anticipation, just as the bell sounded, indicating dinner was served. He was suddenly glad they had the serving girl change his seat to be near Hawke's. Hawke had thought he would be bored surrounded by nobles… but now? Varric was reaping the rewards.

* * *

"Monsieur Hawke, what a pleasure to finally meet you."

Cat glanced up, as Hawke pushed in her seat and sat in his own. Varric was across from them, and otherwise it appeared they were surrounded by Orlesians. The man that had spoken was taking his chair next to hers, and gave her a small bow.

"And you my lady? Might I have the pleasure of your name?" he asked.

"Catarina," she replied, feeling a sense of recognition, but unable to pinpoint it.

"Well met, my lady. I am Duke Prosper de Montfort," he said grandly, and she smiled a bit at his strutting. He gestured across the table and down a few places. "And there is my wife Amelie, and my son Cyril."

"The pleasure is mine, your grace," Cat replied, knowing her memory would fill in the blanks soon enough.

"Ah, so there is someone here that is familiar with Orlesian courtesies," he replied as he sat. He took her hand from the table and brought it close to his mouth and then returned it. She felt like it was almost a salute or something, rather than anything romantic.

"I must admit I am surprised," Hawke said, as he leaned over toward them. "to have such an austere guest at our little party."

"Oh, we were not far after all," the duke replied. "We have a home here in the free marches, Chateau Haine. It's been in the family since the fourth blight, and provides the most marvellous of hunting grounds."

"I knew your name sounded familiar," Varric added. "Wasn't there a Monfort that slew a high dragon?"

"Ah, so you have heard of me!" the duke exclaimed, laughing merrily. "Those were the days, to be sure. One can never feel as alive as when they stand over such a mighty beast!"

"When you said hunting grounds, I must admit I thought of smaller game, your grace," Hawke said with a sheepish grin.

"Most make the same mistake, have no worry," the duke said. "Though in the western mountains we do not find dragons any longer, we are fortunate to find wyverns."

Everything clicked into place for Cat, and she turned to the duke.

"A wyvern?" she asked. "I've never seen such a thing."

The duke's face lit with excitement, and Cat listened to him explain about the creatures. She made sure to ooh and ahh in all the right places, since Hawke didn't seem to care.

As they continued their conversation through dinner, and he told her of the annual hunt, Cat couldn't help but talk up Hawke.

"Our Champion is quite the hunter himself," she said, gaining Hawke and Varric's attention. "Though his prey is usually those that would cause harm to the city, I dare say he always catches what he seeks."

"She flatters me," Hawke replied, as he gave her thigh a gentle squeeze, and left his hand there. __Turn about it fair play,__ she thought as her heart rate incresed, placing her hand on his thigh in return.

His thumb began to make slow circles, and she had a harder time concentrating. "As one of your companions, I have to say I'm merely telling the truth, wouldn't you agree Varric?" she asked the dwarf, who was smirking at the two of them.

"Hawke is quite skilled, it is true," he replied. "He is constantly called on from the Viscount, to the templars to help with their problems."

"Small wonder why he is named the city's Champion then," the duke murmured. "I admit I have wondered how it felt to battle the Qunari."

"Something akin to a dragon, I'd imagine," Hawke replied with a smirk.

"Quite," the duke stated.

"I'm certain the sight of the dragon was much greater to behold," Cat added.

"Though I cannot grant you that, my lady," the duke turned back to her with a smile. "I would love to have you come for the wyvern hunt. We actually have a live wyvern that we have caught, and are trying to tame as a mount."

"Really, your grace?" Cat asked, not having to try too hard to put awe in her voice. "That must be a difficult task!"

"Not too difficult once you understand the animal," the duke preened. He leaned forward slightly. "I absolutely insist you come. Of course the Champion is welcome to join in the hunt, if he feels he is up to the challenge."

"I'll work very hard to convince him," she replied, before Hawke could say anything.

"You need only ask," Hawke said softly, and she chuckled, even as she played her fingers across his arm.

"It sounds fun," she said with a smile, and Hawke stood up, holding his hand out to her.

"My lady? Would you care to view the gardens?" he asked, and she smiled and turned back to the duke in apology.

"Your grace, thank you for the company," she said, turning back to Hawke. "I'd love to."

* * *

Hawke was not having an easy time. The food had been excellent, yet did nothing for his hunger. The wine was rich and flowed endlessly, but didn't slake his thirst. Their constant contact kept his tension high, yet he couldn't resist the urge and reached out for her again.

"What is it about the embroidery that has you touching it over and over?" Cat asked with a look of confusion, glancing at her shoulder again.

"Perhaps it is merely the teases of skin that you are showing," he replied, brushing said skin with his fingertip.

"Really?" she asked, scrutinizing his face. "while I'm happy you like it, I feel there is something you aren't telling me."

"Hmm," Hawke mused in jest. "A secret for a secret? Does that sound like a fair deal?" he asked her.

"You first," she immediately replied. "I'd hate to give up a good one if yours turns out to be simple."

Hawke chuckled, enjoying the moment. "One for free then, to show my good intentions," he stated, leading her through the gardens, and away from others. "After all this time, I felt I knew you pretty well, and I do…" he started, and her eyebrow raised in question. "But you continue to impress me with the many sides that you show."

"Oh?" she asked, her face turning into a frown as she thought on his words. "I know I have my moods, but I didn't think they were too unexpected."

He smiled in return, unsurprised that she couldn't see what he was referring to. "It's not your moods darling, it is who you are." He brought his hand up behind her, twirling her hair around his fingers, even as he splayed it over her back to keep her close. "Beautiful and charming, fierce and protective, stubborn, aye, we can both agree on that."

She chuckled. "Like senses like, I suppose."

He nodded and continued. "Then you show me the sides that others do not see. Shy and romantic," he said, his voice getting softer as his face came closer. "Playful and fun." His forehead was resting on hers now. "Alluring and seductive."

He moved back slightly, his gaze going back to her shoulder, his hands coming up to cover each of them, rubbing gently over the delicate embroidery. "The secret isn't very secret, since it appears you may be the only one that didn't recognize the pattern stitched here."

She had a hard time switching focus for a moment, but glanced over to her shoulder again. "What is it?" she asked.

"My family's crest," he replied. "Or close enough, being that it is the Amell family's. My father didn't come from a noble house, so there isn't one for the Hawkes."

Her mouth opened slightly, understanding dawning. His suspicions were proven correct, and his thoughts immediately went to his mother, __who else could have done this?__ Now he only worried how his Cat would react to the news. It had basically declared her his without saying a word… and she hadn't known it was there.

He waited, concerned, as she looked away in thought. She turned back to him with a smile, and he felt his breath that he hadn't realized he was holding whoosh out.

"Really?" she asked. "So the coordinating colors weren't enough to get the point across?"

He just watched her, as she ran her hands up his chest, fixing his vest, or brushing something- real or imaginary he did not know- from his tunic.

"One for free then?" she offered, standing close. "I don't know how you can possibly be more handsome than the last time I saw you, but you continually outdo yourself." He reached for her, but her hands on his arms kept him from getting the hold he wanted.

"And the secret?" she smiled up at him. "I came here tonight for one purpose, and that wasn't to make anything known to others." She leaned forward, and his hands were at her hips as she stretched up to reach his ear. "It was to let you know, that I'm ready for more."

His fingers clenched, his mouth suddenly dry, even as she moved away, and came back on her heels. He looked at her as he swallowed, __seductress was right,__ he told himself. He grabbed her arm, and started whisking her back through the garden.

"Whoa, what?" she said as she was suddenly on the move. "Where are we going?"

"Home," he gritted out. "The rest of the night may provide the time I need for what I have in mind."

She laughed huskily, which did nothing to curb his desire, and he moved with more haste.

"My place is closer," she offered softly, taking a firmer grip on his arm to help keep up with him. "And empty."

He nodded shortly, and steeled himself as they came back to the crowd. He'd need all his wits about him to escape.

* * *

It took much longer than he would have liked, and Cat did little to help in that regard, though she eventually took pity on him and enlisted Varric's help. He didn't know how the dwarf did it, but he drew a crowd in, providing the distraction needed for he and Cat to slip away.

Once out of the keep, his pace slowed, though the urge to simply grab her and carry her off was there. Now that he was free of the banquet, he felt he had all the time in the world.

"What a lovely night this has been," she said, and he gathered her closer, wrapping his arm around her.

"You're the reason it was lovely," he said seriously. "I had resigned myself to an evening of boredom and politics."

"No wonder you brought Varric then," she teased. "He was your shield against them."

"Too right," he muttered. "I thought of asking you to accompany me, but I didn't want to make you share my pain."

She laughed again. "I'm sure Varric is glad that he isn't too good to share your pain," she said.

They laughed and spoke of the more colorful people at the banquet as they made their way to her home. Once more, she went to enter, and his stopping pulled her back. She turned to look at him.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked earnestly. "I want it to be right."

She moved over to him, enjoying that the different steps they were on had her with the height advantage this time. She looked down into his face, her hand coming up to play with the hair of his beard.

"It's not as soft," she said quietly. "So it doesn't tickle exactly, but it doesn't hurt either." His eyebrow raised, as he wondered what her point was. "I really like it," she said with a smile. "I wonder what it would feel like…" she took her hand back to her own face, moving down her neck and beyond.

He wasted no time, dragging her to him. He felt he had no control as he seemed to devour her in quick an greedy bites, her hands only urging him on as she pulled him closer.

"Garrett," she murmured, and he gentled without thinking. He had no idea how long he had stood there kissing her. If she stopped thinking when they touched, then he lost all sense of time around them.

"Cat?" he asked in reply.

"Come inside," she offered, reaching behind her to open the door. She held onto his hand and guided him into the house.


	76. Chapter 76- Champion's Banquet part 2

To say she was nervous would be an understatement, but after weeks of thinking of it, dreaming of it… to have him here with her was better than any thought or dream she could have had.

She wasn't terribly sure of what she was doing, but knew enough that she simply needed to get him where she wanted him, and he would help her take care of the rest.

She kept looking back to smile at him, to reassure him that she wanted him there. As she moved to start up the stairs, she felt him pull her back. She turned again with another grin. __Maybe he can't wait until we get upstairs?__ she thought excitedly, smiling at him.

"Cat…" he said, and her expression became confusion at the graveness of his tone. "What's that?" he asked, pointing.

She turned to follow his finger, looking at the stairs, and felt a chill run down her spine.

"It… it looks like blood," she replied.

She wasted no time, gathering up her skirts and holding them up so as not to get anything on them, and started up the stairs.

"Cat, wait!" Hawke called, following closely at her heels.

She didn't reply, just followed the trail of blood, slowing so as not to step in it, and Hawke stepped in front of her, causing her to stop.

"Do you have a weapon?" he asked quietly. She nodded, pulling her skirt even higher to get her small blade from the holster strapped to her thigh. "Not the time, but I definitely want a closer look at that later," he murmured.

She steeled herself, letting him lead the way, his palm out with a small conjured ball of flame resting in it, ready to throw at a moment's notice. Any other time, she would have made him show her how he did it, demanded to feel it, or any other such things. But not now.

He followed the shimmering dark liquid, worried now, as they made it to the landing. The furniture was in pieces in the hallway, and there were sprays of blood on the wall. He could see a body lying halfway in the doorway to Cat's room, and started seething in anger and worry.

He heard her gasp behind him, pushing around him to run to Fenris' room. Following her there, they entered to find four more bodies strewn around.

"What __is__ this?" she gasped, then running to the body slumped against the bed. "Fen! Fenris?!" she demanded, dropping her blade and shaking him slightly as she attempted to find a pulse.

Hawke worried, as he joined her, kneeling on the other side of Fenris who was pale and cold, and didn't stir. She looked back at him, the shock making her features twist. "He's alive, Hawke, but just barely." She grabbed his wrist, and he instantly extinguished the flame as she brought it closer to Fenris. "You have to heal him," she said.

"Are you serious?" he asked, incredulous. "This is Fenris! He'd kill me for using magic on him!"

"If you don't, he'll be dead in minutes!" she retorted harshly. "Hawke, please! I'm not asking you to completely heal him, just get him stable! __PLEASE!__ "

He looked back down, nodding and moving quickly to help lay Fenris flat. "Where are the worst injuries?" he asked her, looking over the prone elf.

"As far as I can tell, he's lost a lot of blood," she answered. "There are several stab wounds," she started pointing them out, her fingers soon covered in blood. She leaned over him, looking for injury and the ends of her hair soaked it in as well. He had no idea, but assumed the dress was ruined too, though he knew she wouldn't care.

"Point me to the next one once I'm finished," he said, and his hands started glowing as he reached for his friend.

* * *

Cat let the tears fall, her heart twisting in knots of pain as she gripped her friend's hand, and brushed her other hand over his face. She knew Fenris wasn't aware of what he was saying, but the cries for mercy from the agony, the tears and apologies he gave were to a master he no longer had, and it tore her apart.

She could see Hawke's gritted teeth, and knew he was just as affected, but bless him, he didn't stop, wouldn't stop until Fenris was healed. Fenris squirmed and writhed beneath their hands, and she did all she could to try to calm him.

Eventually, Hawke's amount of mana could no longer support his spells, and the glow faded from his hands.

"I'm sorry," he said wearily. "That's all I can do."

Cat nodded, seeing the worst wounds healed, and rose, running to another room to find their stash of healing potions. Fenris hated the things, but they were his only alternative to magic in emergencies. If she could get a few into him, she thought the smaller cuts would close, and he would be stable enough to heal on his own from there.

Running back in, the potions in hand, she had Hawke tilt his head up, making it easier to pour them down his throat.

Fenris mumbled, falling into sleep, and both of them sighed in relief. Hawke glanced up, seeing the streak of blood and the tracks of tears on Cat's face, and he smiled softly. __How can she look even more exquisite?__ he asked himself.

"Can you get him onto the bed?" she asked him, and he nodded, moving over to pick him up. Cat moved across the room, getting his washing bowl and towel, and placing it on the bedside table.

Hawke moved Fenris to the bed, Cat adjusting the pillow beneath his head. Looking around in dismay, Hawke glanced back to Cat.

"We need help, but I'm not leaving you alone," he said, remembering the body near her bedroom.

"I'm not leaving him," she said stubbornly, activating the small heating rune at the bottom of the bowl to heat the water.

"As I suspected," he replied, glancing around in thought. "I'll just be downstairs, yell if you need me," he said, and she nodded. He moved over to where her blade was dropped, and brought it back to her, then headed down the stairs, and to the front door.

He left the door open so he could hear her if she called, and shouted loudly for a guard, waiting a minute and yelling again. It took a few minutes, but a pair of guardsmen finally came running into view.

"Champion?" the older one asked as they recognized him. He panted, "What's the trouble?"

"An attack," Hawke replied. "We are safe and the men are dead, but I need the Captain," he told them. "I can't leave, I need you to get her for me. She should still be at the Keep," he looked at them seriously, which conveyed how grave the situation was. "Please, hurry."

While trusting their champion, the guards were uncertain of the matter, so Hawke showed them in to see the bodies at the top of the stairs, as well as all the blood. Now convinced, they ran toward the Keep as fast as they could, and Hawke returned upstairs, back to Cat.

* * *

"Maker, those two just can't catch a break. Perhaps they are cursed," Isabela muttered to Varric, who nodded. He had been thinking the same thing after all.

"I can't decide what would have been worse," he replied. "What did happen, or what __could have__ happened to Little Dove and Hawke if Broody hadn't been home."

The pirate looked down at her companion. "You don't agree with the guard?" she asked, her eyebrow up in question.

"That they followed Broody home?" he said, giving her a skeptical look. "Those didn't look like slavers, did they?" He adjusted himself in his lean against the wall, as the two of them kept their ears open, waiting for the guard to leave, so they could get the real story from Hawke and Aveline. "We won't really know for sure until Broody wakes up," he added.

Isabela didn't move, she was pretty comfortable, but her eyes flickered to the room atop the staircase where Fenris lay unconscious in bed, and Cat sat by his side, refusing to move until he woke. Hawke had stayed by her side until they arrived and Anders took his place. Now, Hawke and Aveline, along with her guard, were __investigating.__

"I wish they'd just get out of the way, so I can see if anyone escaped from Fenris," she muttered.

"Knowing Hawke, he's using this to get regular guard rotations here," Varric murmured back, and Isabela grunted. They both knew too well how protective Hawke could be of those he cared for.

Isabela pulled out a small dagger and began cleaning her nails with it. "Hawke looks rough," she commented.

Varric gave a large sigh. "It seems to be one thing after another for our champion," he said, looking over at Hawke in concern. "I was really hoping tonight would help with that."

"Weren't we all," Isabela smirked. "The tension is getting unbearable, for __all__ of us."

"Perhaps we should have everyone not show up for Little Dove's planned day away," he suggested, his eyebrows wagging at her.

She gave a small nod, conceding his point, and thinking it over. "While Hawke may appreciate it, eventually, he has commented numerous times about being together with all of us for the day. Besides, knowing those two, they'd probably be attacked, and knowing their luck, it would be by darkspawn or something."

"Don't even joke about those things Rivaini," he mumbled with a shiver. "They give me the creeps."

She chuckled darkly. "No, we'll give him his day," she said. "But that night? Let's just say they will have a few extra unseen bodyguards, to make sure __nothing__ __happens,__ " she glanced down with a wink, then turned back to continued to glare at the guards.

"Of course, Broody will never hear the end of this," he muttered.

They were silent after that, waiting and watching as the guards finally left, leaving only Hawke and Aveline, standing together at the top of the balcony. Varric and Isabela made their way up the stairs to join them.

"Hi," Hawke said wearily. "Where's Merrill?" he asked.

"She went to keep your mother and Orana company," Varric answered, and Hawke gave a sigh of relief.

"That's one less worry then," he said.

Isabela listened with one ear, as she made her way around the hallway. She narrowed her eyes in thought, thinking that things weren't adding up.

"What can you tell us?" Varric asked the Champion and Guard Captain.

"From what we can tell," Aveline started, explaining what she had barely finished telling Hawke, "Fenris was already in his room when he discovered the intruders, meaning they came in after him. He came out and fought, killing the first man, there." She pointed to the spot where the body had been lying in Cat's doorway.

"Then, the others surrounded him, coming at once, and there was a fight, along with some injuries, which explains the blood." She gestured around at the walls that had several sprays of dried blood, and Varric nodded, and Isabela followed the explanation, viewing the evidence as she did.

"The fight then went into his room, where he eventually was successful in besting the four others, however he also received many injuries, enough that he was too weak to go for help. He ended up passing out, and was found later by Cat and Hawke."

"So this was all of them?" Varric asked skeptically. "Are you sure?"

"Would Fenris had been alive if there were more?" Aveline retorted.

"Isabela?" Hawke asked, watching as she moved over to Cat's room, and went inside, looking around for several minutes, while they waited.

"What is it Rivaini?" Varric finally asked, not liking the suspense.

Isabela came back to the doorway, looking out at her friends.

"While the motivation is unclear, there are a few things we know," Isabela spoke, and the other three paid attention, surprised at her solemnity. "One, these men were not slavers trying to get a runaway slave back."

"And how do we know that?" Aveline asked sternly.

"I could explain it all, but just trust me on this one," Isabela replied. "They were assassins. Yet any decent assassins could have killed Fenris when four against one. So why didn't they?"

Hawke and Aveline looked at each other in concern. "The second thing… Fenris came home to find them here, not the other way around."

Aveline knew first hand that the pirate had seen things her guards never had, and if she was so certain, there was a reason, but that didn't mean she would simply take her word for it. "Explain," Aveline demanded.

Isabela sauntered past her, pointing to a pack that was thrown in the corner of the landing. "There are plenty of signs in Kitty's room that someone had been there, going through her things. Fenris came home, heard something, and dropped his pack, pulling out his sword. Perhaps he investigated, or perhaps he called out for her, thinking she was home, but either way, once the first man showed his face, he was dead, here," she pointed to the doorway of Cat's room again.

"The way the blood ended on the walls, were due to his swings as he backed up, giving himself more space as the men came out of her room," she continued, swinging her arms as if she was using a large double handed sword, as Fenris did.

"There's no blood on this side of the hall," Varric noted, looking past Fenris' door at the guest room.

"My guess?" Isabela said. "He backed into his room, which would give him more space than the hallway. His swings are devastating to multiple foes at once, __if__ he can get a full swing."

"Then what?" Hawke asked, his hands clenched into fists at his side.

"Then, they fought. He killed four more of them, but eventually they incapacitated him."

"Are you saying he lost?" Varric asked incredulously.

"Yes," she replied. "But they didn't want to kill him, they wanted information." She looked over at Hawke. "You said he had small cuts all over him?" she asked.

"Yeah, though several bigger slices as well," he answered.

"Most assassins use a poison on their blades," she mused. "But there are some that use a substance that keeps the blood flowing from wounds. Great for interrogations, making small cuts on their limbs. The subject gets weaker and weaker from blood loss, and tends to answer truthfully once they near death."

She took in their shocked expressions, and nodded gravely. "Then those that were still alive, I'm not certain how many… left, assuming he would bleed out and die."

"Are you sure?" Hawke asked, though based on what he had seen when he and Cat found Fenris, it all fit perfectly.

"The blood on the stairs," she said, pointing. "Fenris couldn't have bled that much and then fought this many men. And there are no signs of spatter on the stairs, just someone losing blood as they used the stairs. So that means someone bled as they left."

Aveline looked at Hawke and Varric before nodding. "It makes sense," she conceded, her face grim.

"But that means whoever these men were, they weren't here for Broody," Varric said as the implication hit him.

"No they weren't," Isabela replied.

"This is all my fault," Hawke murmured, though the other three were close enough to hear it. He looked around in panic. "I'll be back," he said, moving down the stairs.

"Hawke?" Aveline asked, shocked at his movement.

"The threats Aveline!" he said as he moved. "I have to check on Mother!"

Isabela and Varric watched as Hawke practically flew out the door, and turned to look at Aveline, both having brows raised in question, and Aveline sighed.

"Hawke has gotten a few threats along with the letters for help," she explained. "The letters have been mostly benign, usually blaming Hawke for bad things that have happened, and saying he should have gotten rid of the Qunari sooner."

"That's hardly Hawke's fault," Varric said with a frown.

"Yeah, so we didn't put much stock in them," Aveline said, rubbing her brow. "There were only a couple, and seemed more like complaining than anything else. But the last one was different."

"Different how?" Isabela asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"It said that Hawke couldn't understand, not until he lost something he loved."

The three of them were quiet, each understanding how the events of the evening would have affected Hawke with that information now a part of it. They turned at a noise, seeing Anders open the door of Fenris' room, and come out to join them.

"How is he?" Aveline asked quietly.

"He's hasn't woken yet," Anders replied, sighing. "I'm not worried though. He's strong, he just needs time to recoup what he lost. Not to mention the large amounts of healing magic Hawke used. That much healing would drain anyone of energy. I'm surprised Hawke is still on his feet."

He looked around, noticing that the man he spoke of wasn't there. "Where is he?" he asked. "Cat's been asking about him."

"He left," Varric replied. "Wanted to check on those at home."

"Ah," Anders said, understanding. He looked at the three of them, scrutinizing their expressions. "And what aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"Go ahead," Isabela said. "I'll go sit with Kitty."

Varric gave a nod, and pulled Anders away from the bedroom, explaining what had been discovered while he was tending to his patient.

* * *

Hawke practically fell into the seat next to Varric, his weariness was practically bone deep at this point.

"We'll find something Hawke," Varric spoke up, trying to console him, even as he looked over at Merrill in concern.

"We keep saying that, but I'm starting to wonder," Hawke replied, his anger coming back to the surface. "Six days and not one single clue, Varric!" he growled, slamming his fist on the tabletop, causing the table to shake.

"I know it's frustrating, but we can't give up," Merrill added, holding onto her cup to keep it from spilling. "Everyone is working together, and we'll find who is behind it, I just know it!"

Hawke took a few deep breaths, stopping himself from scowling at Merrill. She was just trying to keep his spirits up, he knew, but he didn't think that was possible at this point.

"Cat keeps asking why you haven't come by," Merill said softly, and Hawke could feel her hesitation, even as he sneered.

"What would you have me do, Merrill?!" he snapped at her, at his wit's end. "I put everyone I care about in danger by even talking to them!" His anger and disgust had him wanting to say something to get her to stop looking at him with such understanding and sympathy. "The only way to keep her safe, is to stay away," he said through gritted teeth.

"You should tell her that then," Merrill replied, feeling brave. She wasn't afraid of Hawke or anything, she just hated seeing him sad. And he was making Cat sad too.

"If your positions were switched, you would want to know what was going on," Varric added, holding his hands up at Hawke's glare. "I'm just saying," he murmured.

"Fenris wants to speak to you as well," Merrill said with a sheepish smile, and Hawke closed his eyes. He knew when he was beat.

"Fine, I'll go," he said, worried, and looking between his friends.

"We'll come with you," Merrill said with a smile, and Hawke felt a little better.

 _ _I just need to see her, make sure she's all right,__ he thought. __She'll understand why I need to keep my distance until we catch these bastards.__

* * *

"You're overdoing it again Fenris," Cat chided him, as she rushed over to help him up.

He scowled at her. "I know what I am capable of," he snipped at her.

"Oh of course," she said back, her sarcasm very apparent. "Just like this morning? How did that happen again?"

They glared at each other, neither willing to back down, and eventually Cat sighed.

"I don't like fighting with you Fen," she muttered.

"Or I you," he replied softly. "I need to start moving around a bit Cat, I'm feeling restless, and worthless in this bed."

She sighed again, giving him a nod. "I don't have a problem with you moving around the room, I just want you to let me help you until you are a little stronger."

He grumbled, but internally he knew he wouldn't be able to make it very far. He was already exhausted from sitting himself up. "I'll make you a deal," he offered, and she crossed her arms and gave him a smirk.

"This I have to hear," she said.

He scowled at her again, but he put his hand out for hers and she put her own in it. He pulled her over, and she sat next to him. "I'll let you help me until you deem that I am strong enough to walk on my own," he said, and she looked at him in surprise.

"And in return?" she asked.

"In return, you must promise me that you will not go anywhere alone."

She gave him a look. "Even the bathroom?" she asked sarcastically.

"Cat."

Her expression changed, and she tried to understand what he wasn't telling her. "Yes," she said. "There were men in our home, I get that. But Fen, we've always faced dangers, and you can't protect me from all of them. You're going to have to trust me, that I can protect myself."

"But you can avoid many dangers by not being alone," he said stubbornly, and she shook her head at him.

"Fine," she said with a cunning smile. "But that's not enough. I also want to hear about what you were doing on your trip."

He looked at her, debating. He didn't want to speak of any of it until it was resolved one way or the other, not wanting to jinx it. But, he wanted her safe even more. He nodded, "you have a deal," he said.

She lifted their joined hands and adjusted her grip to give his a shake, to seal the deal. Standing up, she put her arm under his, and braced herself. "Well, are you ready to walk around a bit then?" she asked, and he nodded resolutely.

* * *

Hawke knew if he saw Cat, he would probably ignore everyone else, so he determined to see Fenris first. But then it seemed Merrill was two steps ahead of him.

She opened the door, and called out. "Cat, I'm back!"

After a moment, Cat exited the bedroom and walked over to the balcony. "Oh, thank you so much for coming back Merrill!" she replied with a wave. "I've been looking forward to a bath all week!"

Merrill gave a laugh, and headed towards the stairs, and Varric stood in the doorway to the main room, looking back at Hawke.

"Are you sure you don't want to join the Little Dove?" he asked. "I can speak to Fenris for you."

Hawke couldn't say he wasn't tempted, but this was hardly the time, or the place to finally be alone with Cat. He had so much building up inside for her, he would certainly need at least a full day before he was sated, and even that was doubtful.

Hawke shook his head, giving Varric a glare.

"Hey, just trying to help," Varric muttered. "You're looking a little worse for wear."

"Thank you Varric, you always know how to flatter me," Hawke grumbled sarcastically.

"Do you need help getting water?" they heard Merrill ask.

"No, I'm all set," Cat replied. "Anders helped fill the tub yesterday, and Issy gave me a heating rune for my birthday."

"Oh, that's an amazing present!" Merrill replied.

Hawke looked over to Varric in surprise. "I missed her name day?" he asked, feeling guilty.

"Nah," Varric replied, waving it off. "Rivaini just happened to some across the rune on one of her jobs, and thought Little Dove would like it. She said it was for her name day so that if she forgets later she's covered."

Hawke breathed a sigh a relief, even as he shook his head at Isabela.

"And her name day is next month," Varric added, before he moved into the main room. "She said she wants to go to that wyvern hunt that duke invited her to."

"Wyvern hunt? What duke?" Hawke asked, but Varric was already moving to the stairs, and greeting Cat.

"Just here to visit Broody, see if he needs anything," Hawke could hear him say, and Cat's happy reply.

He waited where he was, until Varric called out, and he strode into the room, and up the stairs, glanced longingly toward Cat's room, before continuing on to see Fenris.

* * *

Hawke had hoped that Fenris would give him some new clue, but after hearing his account of things, he realized that Isabela had had the right of things. He told Fenris of the letters he received, and the conclusions they had drawn, as well as their investigation into the identity of who had sent the assassins.

Fenris was less than happy to hear that Hawke was the actual target of the assassins, through his friends. They continued to speak with Varric, straining their memories for any idea of who could want revenge on Hawke, but coming up empty.

"I really appreciate you guys coming over," Cat's voice carried into the room, and Hawke whirled around, his fingers clenching- itching to touch her. She stepped into the doorway, her hair still damp and hanging down in thick waves. Her skin was still pink, and Hawke wondered if it was from scrubbing, or the heat of the water.

He shook his head, he didn't need to think about that.

"Hawke?" she asked, surprised to see him. "I didn't know you were here."

She smiled warmly at him, and moved forward, why- he wasn't sure. Perhaps a hug, perhaps more, but he stepped back. The look on her face was like a knife in his chest, but he knew if he touched her now, he wouldn't be able to stay away.

 _ _Keep her safe… keep her safe…__ he told himself over and over.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking from Fenris to Varric and back to Hawke, her eyebrow raised.

"We've been trying to find out who sent the men here the night of the banquet," Merrill said, looking over to Hawke, trying to get him to take it from there.

"Okay," Cat said with a nod. "And?" she asked.

Hawke was silent, he didn't want to tell her that he was the reason she was in danger, that he was the reason Fenris was hurt.

"And there isn't much to go on," Varric answered, looking up at Hawke, and moving over to nudge him with his elbow.

"It's my fault."

Cat looked from Varric up to Hawke, her eyebrow raising even further. "How did you come to that conclusion?" she asked calmly.

He looked down, explaining shortly about the threats, and why he needed to keep his distance- to keep them safe. He stopped short when Cat started laughing.

"Oh of course!" she chuckled. "Never mind that we just went to a city wide banquet where we practically announced that we were together. Or the fact that all of us have been practically glued to your sides for years," she said, her voice becoming serious. "Maybe if you stay away from your home, people will think that you no longer care for your mother too!"

Varric held his chuckle in, giving Merrill a wink. He didn't know if she had prepared the Little Dove for this, or if she simply knew Hawke's tendencies, but either way, he couldn't have written it better.

Hawke on the other hand, was less than amused. "This isn't a joke," he said stiffly. "Fenris was almost killed, and who knows what would have happened if it had been you here alone."

"So what?" she countered nonchalantly. "All this tells me is that you don't trust us."

 _"_ _ _What?"__ he said, shocked. "How can you say that?"

"Why do we train every day?" she replied, leaning on the door frame. "What's the point if anytime there is trouble you're going to hide away?"

 _"_ _ _HIDE?!"__ Hawke's anger broke free of his hold at her words, and he snarled. "I'm killing myself to stay away from those I love to __protect them!__ Not to hide!"

"Could have fooled me," she said, looking down at her nails, knowing it would piss him off even more. Her own temper was clawing at her to be let free, but she choked it back. __The idiot. Being a martyr to keep us safe.__

He stalked over to her, hurt and infuriated. And stopped in shock as she said, "I don't feel protected," and turning, walked away.

He looked at Merrill who shrugged, then Varric who was staring wide eyed at where she had stood. Glancing back at Fenris who was giving him a pointed look, Hawke snarled, and chased after her.

He moved out of the room, and looking around saw her already at the bottom of the stairs and heading towards the kitchen. His anger drove him forward. He would make her understand. He was doing this for her!

* * *

 _ _I hope I know what I'm doing…__ she thought, whirling around as Hawke came into the kitchen and slammed the door shut behind him. She swallowed hard at the look on his face. She had seen him angry before, but never directed so intensely at her alone.

Her eyes widened as he stalked slowly towards her, and she shivered, feeling like she was being tracked, or hunted.

He stopped in front of her, grabbing her shoulders, and she simply stared up at him, his eyes boring into her. "You don't feel protected?" he gritted out. "You don't feel safe?" She didn't know what possessed her, but she shook her head, and he snarled, _"_ _ _You shouldn't."__

Before she could take a breath, he was on her, his mouth searing her own as he took everything he had been denying himself for the past week. Understanding that he was the cause of his fears becoming real- he was the reason she was in danger- how could he do anything __but__ stay away?!

Now, he was the animal, he was the beast that would cause her to keep away from __him.__ And while a part of his mind knew that, he couldn't make himself stop.

Using teeth and tongue, he proceeded to devour her. Her flavor sweeter and more tantalizing than any other, and even better than he remembered. His height causing him to lift her onto the tips of her toes, as his hands held under her cheeks- pulling her up where he needed her.

He hadn't known he was moving her, until they were stopped by a wall, and she gave a grunt from the impact. She used his momentary confusion to slip her arms inside of his, putting her hands up into his hair and gripping there. His hands, now displaced, began running up and down her sides, hesitating at the soft curves, and pressing in.

Her leg snaked up to his hip, and he moved his hand to help it stay there, even as he grabbed the other just as she raised it. He pressed forward, and her head fell back. His inner beast growled at seeing her neck bared before him.

* * *

Cat tried to breathe, that was all she could focus on. She had never felt so completely __alive__ before. She knew she had been turned on before, but that had been a nice, warm, and pleasant feeling. This was __heat,__ this was __fire… molten lava, center of the earth__ … how else could she say it? Her entire body was sensitive, and his every touch was setting off sparks that left her skin tingling, and he had yet to actually touch her skin.

Her head fell back against the wall, she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, there were so many things to feel, and her hands in Hawke's hair felt like the only thing keeping her grounded.

She heard a low growl, and before she could process it, Hawke was suckling and nibbling at her neck. She gave a throaty moan, unable to keep it in. She could feel her body moving, though she felt like she wasn't in control of it. She was on __fire__ and just knew that Hawke could help.

He was pushing her into the wall, his hips practically drilling into hers, and as she adjusted to move with him, the feeling intensifying and she moaned again. With each small push, she was moving higher, until she was above him, and her hands moved to his shoulders, her nails digging in, as she bent her head to attack his ear.

She heard the growl again, and she reveled in it, as his hands moved under her tunic at her back, and up her sides. They traveled up her rib cage, and she chuckled softly when he paused, realizing that she had nothing on to prevent him from all of her.

She felt something building within her, low within her. Her head fell back as she panted, trying to understand. __We are both still fully clothed, and though his hands are under my shirt…__

His hands were splayed beside her breasts, and she jerked as his thumbs brushed over them, causing her to shiver, as he groaned. She stiffened, and his hands stayed where they were, though his hips continued to push into her. Her thoughts were gone suddenly, and all that remained was the feeling, as her body tightened in pleasure, and then released. She sagged against him, panting.

After a few moments, she realized that he wasn't moving anymore either, and she raised her head as best as she could. When he felt her moving, he gently released her legs, letting her stand again. She smiled at him, but he was still looking down. He suddenly removed his hands from under her shirt, as if he was burned.

She said his name in question, uncertain what was going on.

* * *

"Garrett?"

He could cheerfully stab himself for how timidly she said his name. He had been wanting to protect her, to go slowly once he discovered her inexperience, to avoid this, exactly this. He hadn't given a thought to her, he had only taken and taken like an animal, unable to even control himself- trying to push into her through his clothes. He hadn't lasted long… __how could he have, with having her as he wanted?__ and he had felt her stiffen in disgust as he lost himself.

Looking up in shame, he could see the marks he left on her skin. Her neck was red from his beard. Her lips were swollen from biting them, and he could feel where she had been trying to hold him off- even digging her nails into his shoulders to snap him out of it.

"I'm so sorry," he spoke, and he could see her looking up, but he didn't meet her eyes, he just turned and left.


	77. Chapter 77- Cat Take the Initiative

"Fen? Can I come in?" Cat asked from the hallway.

"Oh?" he asked grumpily. "Now you want to respect my privacy?"

Cat pouted, and Fenris could tell she was faking it. "If you think that will sway me, you know nothing of me," he added.

Cat's expression changed to one of annoyance. "Well, I guess I can apologize for tending to your every need, and nursing you back to health… since you are so ungrateful."

"Apology accepted," he said with a smirk, and Cat huffed. "And now, yes, you may come in," he said with a slight smile.

"Why are you only happy when I get angry with you?" she groused as she entered the room, heading over to the bed where he was laying.

"Misery loves company I suppose," he answered with a sigh.

"I know it's awful to be laid up like this," she said, sitting next to him. "But I'm just glad you're still alive."

"I suppose that is something to be mindful of, whenever I get angry at my situation," he mused to himself.

"Of course it is!" she exclaimed, pushing him, and causing him to grunt. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she said immediately.

He replied with a glare, and she gave him a sheepish look. In order to keep from hurting him again, she turned and leaned against the headboard next to him.

"Did you want one of my pillows too?" he asked with a smirk.

"No, I'll just share with you," she replied sweetly, and leaned over to lay her head next to his. He grumbled a bit, but inwardly he was pleased to have the company.

"You've been pretty quiet the last couple of days," he said, letting that statement hang in the air. She didn't respond, and he reached over to grab her hand. "You should know by now that you are not able to hide when you are upset from me."

"I hardly think this is something you want to hear of," she finally replied quietly.

"Perhaps not, but I will listen, regardless."

"Leaving out the details then," she said with a smile. "Hawke and I started something, and it was great! And then, he apologized. And left."

"And you haven't talked to him since…" he added.

"He hasn't come here since," she corrected. "He knows I'm not leaving you here alone, so he's doing it on purpose to avoid me."

Fenris rolled his eyes at her stubborn words. "How you and Hawke can be so oblivious when it is all so clear to everyone around you, never ceases to amaze me."

Cat turned her head to glare at him this time. "I don't know why I tell you things," she complained. "You're always so sure you have the answers."

"It's a wonder you wait so long to tell me then," he quipped back, enjoying the true pout on her face this time. "One would think you would learn to spare yourself days of brooding."

Cat laughed loudly at that. "That's rich, coming from you of all people!" She continued to laugh, as Fenris fought to keep a smile from his face. After a minute or two, she was able to calm herself. "Oh Maker, I needed that," she said on a chuckle.

"It's nice to hear you laugh again," Fenris said seriously. "It seems every altercation with Hawke leaves you unhappy."

"Not every time," Cat said in protest. "The banquet was amazing, and there have been a few times before that… Oh!" she said as the realization hit her. "But you were gone, so you didn't know!"

"Didn't know what?" he asked skeptically.

Cat snuggled in a little, not wanting to jar any of his injuries. "Let me tell you, it was wonderful!" she began. She told him of the last few weeks with Hawke, the fun times, the awkward times, the banquet, and subsequently their run-in in the kitchen two days prior, while leaving out the sexy details.

Fenris listened intently, though not so much to what was said, or what was done. The corners of his mouth twitched upward as her voice became cheerful and exuberant. He felt his own spirits lifting, as she weaved her tale, and thought he could understand, if only a little, how love was supposed to work. If this was love… it was unlike anything he had once supposed it to be.

He didn't have the answers for her, he knew that. He didn't have answers period, unless the question was about fighting. So he did as he always did, and asked questions, knowing that Cat would come to her own conclusions, and then thank him for his help.

"So that's what happened," she said, deflating again. "I just don't get it."

"You know Hawke as well as any of us," Fenris said. "What would cause him to stop and apologize like that?" he asked.

"Ha!" she blurted, "Hawke never apologizes, unless he's being an idiot."

"Oh?" Fenris asked, pleased that Cat was deep in thought.

"Well… or if he has hurt someone," she added. "You know how hard he works to avoid that. It almost reminded me of that time, years ago, when we had the big misunderstanding?"

"You mean when he called you a whore?" Fenris asked pointedly.

"You never will let that go, will you?" she replied. "And he never called me one."

"How did this remind you of that?" he asked, not wanting to get into the old argument again.

"He was so sad…" she said quietly. "Like he couldn't be forgiven, but needed to apologize anyway." She turned slightly, her head coming to rest on his shoulder.

"Based on the situation," Fenris said softly, "there aren't many reasons to feel that way."

"Hmm…" Cat murmured. "I think… I need to think about this some more," she said. "But I'd rather not think about it now," she added. "So now it's your turn. I want to hear about what you did while you were gone."

Fenris smirked, and decided to humor her. He had promised after all. "Varric gave me the names of several people that could help me to find out if the information I was given about my so called sister was true."

"And?" she asked.

"And according to three separate sources, she truly exists, and as the witch said, works as a servant for a magister named Ahriman. There was not much I could get with the coin that I had, so in order to get more information, I stayed and helped the man with a few problems he had as payment."

"He had you working for him?" she asked in surprise.

"Apparently, Varric gave him quite the impression of my skills," Fenris said dryly, and Cat rolled her eyes.

"One day, one of his embellishments is going to bite him in the butt."

"Agreed."

"So then what?"

"While they were not able to find out how she came to leave Danarius, and move from slave to servant, they were able to speak with her directly, and explain who was trying to establish correspondence with her. So now, she knows of me as well, and is waiting to hear from me."

"I see," Cat said, uncertain of how she wanted to proceed with this.

"I decided to wait another few days, to determine if there was a trap set by Danarius to recapture me, but I found no trace of anyone, so I came back. I have yet to decide if I wish to write and pursue this. Part of me wants to, of course… but another part…"

"Wants to forget the past and move forward?" she guessed, and felt him nod. She gave a sigh, and gripped his hand a little tighter. "I wasn't going to tell you this," she said, and he turned to look at her in surprise. "But when we found you, you were almost dead."

"Hawke said as much," he replied with a frown. "He said that he was forced to use magic to heal me, and apologized." He looked at her with a smirk, as he spoke of Hawke apologizing.

"Yes, though it was my decision, not his," she replied, not seeing his smirk. "I just wanted you to know that we agreed not to share with anyone how it affected you, and I wanted to tell you… that I understand a little better now… your aversion to magic."

He was silent as he took in what she was saying. Obviously, it had been bad, for both Hawke and Cat to feel that they needed to apologize for seeing him in such a state. He had told himself several times now, that he was a new person, that the past didn't matter, and yet there were times- like now- that he felt dragged back into it.

"I admit that I wish you had not seen me like that."

She nodded, and wondered if she should have even mentioned it, but it had been bothering her still, and she had wanted to apologize.

"Cat… are you… I mean, how much do you know of my past?" he asked, his hand gripping hers like a lifeline.

She paused, surprised that he had asked, for he always said he didn't want to know. "Um… quite a bit, actually," she said hesitantly.

"Do I even __want__ to know?" he asked, his body tense.

"Probably not," she replied softly. "But if things go unchanged, you'll find out eventually, and be a little blindsided by it." She paused again. "But, it's up to you."

"While I am glad to have the freedom to make my own decisions, there are times that it truly vexes me," he muttered.

"The nice thing about this decision, is it doesn't need to be made right this moment," Cat replied, her voice becoming lighter to try to edge out the gravity of the subject. "Just keep me updated on what you decide, and I'll let you know when the time comes, before you find out the other way."

Fenris nodded, though he was still deep in thought.

"So…" Cat began cheerily. "When do you think you will be up for walking out to the coast? Hawke has decided he needs a vacation from being the Champion for a bit. It's a day of swimming and resting, and whatever we want to do that isn't work." She heard him chuckle softly, and gave his hand a squeeze.

"I think in two days," he replied. "I'll either need to get out of this house, or you'll be in mortal danger."

"Good thing I've hidden your sword then," she replied cheekily.

He glanced at her with his eyebrow winged up. "After the torture you put me through? The sword would be far too kind."

"Two days from now it is…" she said, knowing he was teasing, and yet still feeling a little bit uneasy.

* * *

"Hello Cullen!"

The knight captain turned, surprised to hear Cat's voice calling him. He could see her moving towards him with a smile, and found himself returning it.

"Cat, how wonderful to see-," he replied, stopping mid sentence as she threw her arms around his middle and gave him a hug.

He glanced down, uneasy, wondering what had happened to elicit this response from her. "Cat?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you… all right?" he asked.

She gave a sigh, and moved her head to look up at him. "Yes," she replied. "I just really needed a hug."

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain of what to do. "Do you not have several friends that hug you whenever you need?" he asked. "Doesn't the Champion-"

"Yes, yes," she interrupted him, still not letting go. "But, I wanted a hug from you."

He stood frozen in place, feeling slightly overwhelmed, and Cat could tell by the rigidness of his stance that her plan was not working. "It's okay Cullen," she said, stepping back.

It was her turn to freeze, as his arms came around her, and patted her back. She looked up again, grinning, to see Cullen looking away, his cheeks bright red as he continued to rhythmically pat her back. She gave him another squeeze, and then stepped away, not wanting to torture him too badly.

"Thank you," she said happily, and he cleared his throat, trying to control his blush. "You have no idea how much I needed a hug from a friend right now."

"Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly, looking in her eyes.

"No," she answered, and his expression changed to skeptical. "Okay, yes, but I think I have an idea of how to fix it, but I'm not entirely sure it will work, and I just needed the support of a hug."

"So hugging gives you support?" he questioned her, and she nodded.

"Yes, it helps to remind me that there is someone who has my back, who is cheering me on, and wants me to succeed," she explained.

"Why did you not just tell me to tell you these things?" he asked, feeling slightly put out.

She looked at him in confusion. "Why would I, when I can get it all from a hug?"

He stopped, thinking it over, and realizing he didn't have a valid argument for that. "Well it is hardly proper-"

He stopped as Cat snorted, and looked at her, perplexed.

"Sorry Cullen, but I am the last person to care about what is proper and what isn't." Her look turned sorrowful as she continued. "Back home we were very affectionate with our friends, and I didn't think it would reflect poorly on you. To me, it feels like hugging a member of my family. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"No of course not," Cullen immediately said, though he __had__ felt uncomfortable. He had no idea that this was how she viewed him, and their friendship. He thought that perhaps he had been so adamant in spending time with her, that she felt pity for him and went along with it.

He smiled at her, genuinely smiled. "It will just take some getting used to, that's all… being that we're… family?"

Cat practically beamed at him, and Cullen felt a bit out of his element. "Uh… care to take a walk?" he asked, gesturing out toward the cliffs, and Cat nodded.

"Speaking of family…" she said with a twinkle in her eye that he couldn't quite decipher. "You've mentioned your siblings before, but do you ever hear from them?" she asked innocently.

"Not in a very long time," he said quietly. "Though that is mostly my fault. I am not good at keeping up correspondence."

"Out of sight, out of mind?" she asked, and he thought on it a moment before nodding. "I can understand that," she replied. "My family and I are no longer speaking," she said it so matter of factly, that it took Cullen by surprise.

"I'm sorry, I was unaware," he said softly.

"It's been a few years now, so the pain is gone," she answered, giving him a brief smile. "I suppose that's why I keep trying to find friends that I can claim as family."

"I am honored to be considered as such."

She turned to him, and gave him another smile. "I'm the one who should be honored, silly. You're the knight captain of the templars. I'm just some girl who somehow gets involved with important people."

"I've yet to decide if your luck is good or bad," he agreed, teasing her. She leaned over to nudge him in protest.

They continued to speak of things that didn't matter, just enjoying each others' company. As they returned to the gallows, and Cullen saw the statues of mages, he tried once again to explain his concerns of the mages she chose to associate with, including the Champion, but Cat merely waved his concerns aside.

"They are my friends Cullen," she explained for what seemed the hundredth time. "They will not hurt me, and in fact help Hawke keep our city safe."

"For now, yes they do. I cannot help but worry. If even one were to fall…"

"It is in your nature to worry about mages, I understand," she said calmly, trying to keep him from working himself up. "I am very careful, I promise."

"That's not enough! I want you to promise me, that if anything happens, you will come here at once," he said suddenly, and she looked over at him in question. "The templars can protect you if the worst were to happen."

Cat felt like rolling her eyes. __Every time it feels like we've taken a step forward, he insists on taking two steps back.__ "Will it set your mind at ease if I do?" she asked. "Very well," she nodded.

He turned, and grabbed her hands. _"_ _ _Promise__ me."

She sighed, but looked up at him, and in complete seriousness, said, "I promise."

She felt bad for him, as he seemed to lose a weight from his shoulders. She wished she could help him see the others as she saw them, __just as much as he probably wished I would see mages as he did,__ she thought.

Seeing that they were almost at the gallows, Cat decided if she wasn't going to chicken out, she had better ask.

"So Cullen, I was wondering… is there a specific uniform for templar recruits to wear, or is it just the armor?"

* * *

Cat stepped to the door and knocked. She was having a hard time believing that she was here, but she had bullied herself mercilessly to get this far, giving up now would just be pathetic.

The door swung open, and the man smiled. "Cat! Did I miss something?" he asked.

"No Anders," she replied with a tight smile. "I just wanted to talk, if you have a few minutes?" she asked.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, concerned. "Is it Fenris?"

"No, nothing like that," she answered, and he stepped back to let her enter the clinic. She hadn't been here for awhile, and had given most of her deliveries to Anders to complete the last few weeks. He had not only needed more to fill his time, but the money as well.

She noted with a pang that the area that had been Olivia's room was now two small, curtained off rooms for patients. She was glad that he wasn't dwelling on his grief, but it still hurt a little.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, leading her over to a couple of cots where they could sit down.

"Well, first off, Hawke's responsibility-free day will be the day after tomorrow," she said, and he nodded. "We'll meet at my house, and go together from there. Fenris is sure he will be well enough, but we will most likely be taking it pretty slow."

"Okay," Anders replied. "Do you need my help with anything?"

"Just carrying the food and such," she answered, still looking around the room.

Anders looked over, trying to see what was so fascinating, then turned back with a confused expression. He stood up from his seat and moved in front of her, grabbing her face so that she would look at him.

"Cat. What is it?" he asked firmly.

"Uh, well…"

He stepped back, crossing his arms. "Well?" he asked.

He was surprised to say the least, when she blushed. "I need some advice, I guess," she said quietly.

"About Hawke?" he guessed, and she nodded.

He sighed and sat back down. "Okay, what did you need to know? According to Varric, you two have already, uh, gotten down to business."

Cat put her head in her hands, cursing the dwarf, which had Anders intrigued. "Come on Cat, tell me what's going on. How can I help?" he asked.

"Well yes, things were good, and then once we came up for air, he put me down, apologized, and left. And now he's avoiding me," she muttered, looking anywhere but her friend. "And if you tell Varric any of this, I will skin you alive."

"My lips are sealed," Anders promised, holding his hand up in solemnity. "I can't know what Hawke was thinking Cat. Did he hurt you somehow, or at least think he did?" he asked gently.

"I don't really know, but the sense I'm getting is that he thinks I didn't like it?" she knew she was voicing it as a question, but she still was still a bit uncertain. "I mean, we hardly did anything, we still had our clothes on, and were up against a wall…"

"Whoa, okay, I get the idea," Anders said, stopping her. "I don't need to get a mental image of the two of you."

"Sorry," she replied, wincing. "Well, the thing is, that I wanted to, you know, show him that I liked it, by um… seducing…him? I guess?" she said hesitantly.

"You guess?" he asked, skeptically. "If you want to be seductive, you need to not guess. And… you should probably be getting help from Isabela, not me."

"Well… I was kind of hoping that you and Hawke have talked about things before," she replied.

His brows furrowed as she spoke. "Please tell me you aren't asking me if I know Hawke's preferences in women," he said.

"Not exactly…"

"Then spit it out already Cat, this is becoming kind of uncomfortable."

"I'm not good at being a seductress," she said finally, and his eyebrow rose at the change in her demeanor. Now it seemed, she was certain in what she was saying. "But I can play a role. What I want to know from you, is if the templar recruit thing is something that will go over well or not."

* * *

Hawke stared at the letter, feeling that perhaps he had gotten something right, even if his own life was currently a wreck.

 _ _Dear Hawke,__

 _ _Or is it now "Champion Hawke"? The story of how you handled the Arishok is very popular here, and I wonder how accurate it is? Though if you were made the Champion of Kirkwall, there must be truth to it after all. There are few things the people of Tevinter love more than a tale of Qunari defeat!__

 _ _To say that the Imperium is a strange place would be a vast understatement. Men and women work magic in the streets while their slaves look on. I watched my own master kill a rival magister in a duel just a few days ago. Sometimes, I think I understand the templars back in Kirkwall a little better than before.__

 _ _My studies are are going well. My dreams do not trouble me as much these days. I'm hopeful that, in time, I will master myself.I just wanted to thank you, and would you please pass that along to Cat as well? I owe the two of you more than my life. I owe you my mind and my future.__

 _ _Feynriel__

 _ _P.S. Please thank Cat for her suggestion of Magister Pavus. He was instrumental in my finding a home here with Magister Farian.__

Thank Cat? He would like nothing more than to see Cat. See her, touch her… He shook his head in agitation. Obviously that wasn't happening, and he needed to school his emotions, and get his life back on track. He put the letter down, closing his eyes, and trying to find the inner peace that his father always spoke of.

He was having such a difficult time with it now, and while he would love to blame a beautiful brunette for his troubles, he knew he only had himself to blame. He never thought he would be so crass as to practically devour a woman against a wall in her own kitchen.

He could only be grateful that his mother hadn't found out. He winced at even the thought of the tongue lashing and look of disappointment that would come his way were that the case.

Hearing a knock at his door, he stood from his desk and went to open it. Looking down, he gave Bodhan a questioning look.

"Miss Cat is here to see you," the dwarf said, and gesturing behind him to Cat as she finished climbing the stairs, and walked over to his door. He glanced at the dwarf, wondering why he would bother to announce an arrival if he was going to escort them to his room anyway.

"Thank you Bodhan," Cat said to the dwarf with a smile.

"My pleasure miss," he replied, and headed back down the stairs. Cat looked over to Hawke, with a small smile.

"Hello Garrett," she said, and he just stood there, looking at her. He didn't want to say anything that would make her leave.

Cat tilted her head slightly, not understanding the hollow look he was giving her. She had hoped he would be happy to see her, but…

She decided she had better make sure, before she did anything… drastic. "Uh, if this is a bad time…" she said, turning back slightly.

"Don't go," he said softly, and she turned back, bewildered. __Why did he sound like he was pleading with me?__ she thought.

"If you have time, I was hoping we could talk?" she asked hesitantly. She was confused once again, as he seemed to become almost… discouraged, but he nodded, and let her in.

She looked around the room, enjoying the atmosphere. There was a fire, though it was small, more for light than for heat. He had several candles lit at his desk, and they gave playful shadows dancing around the room.

She was nervous, she couldn't deny that. Her last attempt at something like this was in another lifetime, in another world, and with a vastly different man. She had been spurned then, but she felt that if she knew anything of Hawke at all- she knew he wanted her. Now, she just needed to convince him that she wanted him too.

"I like this room," she said quietly. "It's impressive, but not ostentatious."

She turned back to him, since he didn't reply, and found him still just staring at her. She tilted her head again, trying to understand what was going on with him. She remembered his apology, and what Anders' had told her, so she stepped over to the desk, and removed her cloak, hanging it over the chair.

"It seems… I have finally caught you… mage."

She turned around, seeing Hawke looking at her in confusion now, as he looked her up and down, taking in the small breastplate that was held to her by straps crisscrossing her back. Cullen didn't have much to offer her besides this, and full armor, but she figured it would get the meaning across.

She stepped forward, pulling out two of her daggers, one of them covered in blue leather, so he would know she wouldn't use them. This is all for show, but she wasn't certain if he understood that just yet.

"Tell me mage," she said quietly but firmly, "were you simply tired of running, or have you come to realize I would never let you go?"

"N…Never?"

Cat smirked. She wasn't sure if he was quite in it yet, but at least he was speaking. She stepped forward several times, quickly, putting her knife up near his throat, in mock threat. She leaned down, getting close to his ear. _"_ _ _Never,"__ she whispered, seeing him shiver, and feeling a surge of something powerful.

"So?" she asked. "Should I end you now? Or will you try to convince me to spare you?" She lowered the blades slightly, rubbing the flat ends against his chest as she stepped closer, right in front of him.

He was looking up at her, as if afraid, and she began to think that perhaps this wasn't working. He was sitting on his bed, and with one step she would be standing between his legs. Yet he had hardly moved, had hardly spoken, and she worried that this had been a bad idea.

 _"_ _ _Just, keep going, give him time to figure it out, if you're not going to explain it before hand. It may take time for his brain to understand that you're not actually joining the templars."__

Remembering Anders words gave her another push, and she decided to make it easy on him. Throwing her blades over her shoulders, she put her arms around his neck, and got on his lap, her legs bent on either side of his.

"I've never been with a mage before," she said softly, their eyes meeting as she reached up to stroke his beard. She leaned over, moving toward his ear again. "Do you want me?" she asked, and hearing his soft moan, she smiled as she nibbled his earlobe.

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly, teasing him. "Templars aren't supposed to fraternize with mages…" She moved back to sit up straight, looking at him again, feeling his hands finally moving over her legs. "Could you convince me?" she asked him, moving back away from him, moving her legs to stand in front of him again.

"I don't know…" she said, even as she smirked at him, seeing something come back into his eyes.

* * *

Hawke felt like he had been electrocuted. He didn't know how to react to Cat, seeing her in his room, he had closed himself off completely just to prevent himself from touching her.

He had almost fallen to his knees to beg when she had turned away, but she had turned back, and he thought for a moment that he was dreaming.

That dream had become a nightmare as he saw the insignia on her chest. She had come to tell him that she was leaving… she was going to tell him that that knight captain had finally convinced her that all mages were the same… all mages…

Then she spoke again, and he was so lost and confused… and he was losing his grip on reality. She looked like a templar, and was more enticing than any dream he could have conjured. He worried for a moment that he had somehow summoned a desire demon with the way he had been wanting her.

He waited for it to offer him a deal, holding himself back from enjoying the way it toyed with him while wearing Cat's face, while speaking with her voice. It was almost too much to hope for when it said it would never let him go, and he was able to stammer… "Never?"

He couldn't suppress his shiver as it whispered in his ear, and he wondered momentarily if it was such a bad thing to be caught in this dream. He could hear his own voice yelling to him, the voice of his father as he explained how to protect himself against demons, and he cleared his mind, focusing not on the one before him, but inside himself.

He looked up again, worried that it hadn't worked, when the demon Cat lifted up her knives and discarded them behind her. He noted with a thought that Cat would never use her blue knife, even to kill her worst enemy, and his mind began to wonder if perhaps his demon fighting didn't work because she __wasn't__ a demon?

She moved to sit on his lap, and his senses were assaulted. He felt her hand on his face, stroking his beard, and he knew now there was no demon, for it had never been done, and therefore could not be a copy.

His body was responding to her, even as his mind fought its inner struggle, and he moaned and moved his hands over her legs, the closest thing he could touch. Her words all came back to him then, as if he was jolted by lightning, he finally understood what was happening.

She stood up, and smirked at him, and he looked back at her, the challenge hanging in the air between them.

"I don't know…" she teased.

Hawke might have been slow on the uptake, but now that he knew the game, he was more than willing to play along. He didn't know why, and he didn't care. She was giving him a second chance. __Or was it third? Oh, right, because THAT'S the thing to focus on!__ He yelled at himself.

"You are in way over your head," he said, his own smirk blossoming. "Haven't you heard that mages are dangerous?"

She grinned back at him, and turned around to pick up her blades. "I can protect myself," she said without worry. "I caught you, didn't I?" she asked.

"Cornered is more like it," Hawke replied, leaning forward. She turned back, and gave him an appraising look. "And you know what cornered animals do?"

"Comparing yourself to a beast are you?" she mocked. "I shouldn't be surprised. I've heard what you mages are capable of."

"Oh?" he replied. "Do tell. What exactly… do they tell you recruits what we mages are capable of?"

She smirked at him again. "Mages can be quite charming when they so choose," she replied. "Anything to avoid capture or escape. Is that what you are trying? To escape from me?"

"My lady, perish the thought," he said with a devilish grin. "I only want a chance to convince you that I am not the monster you were led to believe me to be."

She stepped forward again, looking down at him. "And how do you think to do that?" she asked.

* * *

Cat felt her breath leave her, as he snaked his hand around her waist and pulled her down. Before she knew it, she was laying flat on her back, with Hawke at her side, leaning over her with a smile.

"I believe I can convince you, before this night is over," he said softly. Cat wanted to simply let him, but she held on to her character.

"Oh?" she asked, her eyebrow rising in skepticism. "I sincerely doubt it."

"Well, recruit…"

"Clara," she stated, and his eyebrow rose as he looked down at her.

"Recruit… Clara… I'm afraid you've gone and hit me where it hurts."

"Below your belt?" she asked with a smirk, and he grinned.

"No, this hurts even worse, a direct hit to my honor. Now I am duty bound to prove that I speak the truth."

"And I'm afraid that won't work," she said firmly, though she didn't move as he began toying with her hair, and touching her face. "I am duty bound to bring you in."


	78. Chapter 78- Champion's Day Off

**A/N- I just wanted to ensure that everyone was aware that while I can enjoy reading the sexy scenes, I am in no way claiming the ability to write them. Here's my first attempt, and I hope it is enjoyable. We left off with Hawke playing along with the roleplay, pulling Cat to the bed and teasing her about how dangerous he can be.**

* * *

Cat forced herself not to react as Hawke caressed her face slowly. He was looking for her responses, and if nothing else she wanted to win this game. Her mind was whirling under her calm facade, trying to decide what her next move was.

Several things came to mind, but the one that seemed the most fun had her worried… she wasn't sure if she could pull it off.

 _ _What's the worst that could happen?__ she asked herself. __If it all goes to hell, just laugh it off, and let him win. If it's anything like last time, you'll enjoy it immensely!__ Cat continued to look up at him, his smirk very appealing, and she decided to go for it. __Big risks… big rewards, as Varric likes to tell me,__ she mused.

She closed her eyes slowly, sliding her left leg up so her knee was under his hip. She opened her eyes halfway, looking up to Hawke as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. Seeing that the distraction worked to gain his attention, she shifted her weight slightly as she moved her arms in position, arching her back… and went for it.

She was as surprised as he when the move worked, flipping both of them so that she was now on top, straddling his waist. She grabbed his wrists, holding his arms on either side of his head, and smirked back down at him.

"It seems I've underestimated you… Clara," he said with amusement.

"To your detriment," she quipped back.

"Whatever shall I do?" he said, mockingly, and she narrowed her gaze at him. Loosening her grip on his wrists, but keeping her hands where they were, she waited a moment to see if he would try to take the advantage once again.

He gave no sign of moving, and seemed instead to be giving her a turn. She slowly slid her hands toward his chest, following his arms, not taking her touch from him. She smiled slightly at the feel of his lounging robe, amazed that his clothes looked exactly as she remembered them from the game.

Moving her hands down his torso, and enjoying his sharp intake of breath, she untied the belt and parted the robe, and looked at his chest. There was nothing indecent, he still had his sleep pants on, and she had seen his bare chest before, yet there was such a difference now.

Giving a smile, so as to not arouse his suspicions, she pushed the sides of the robe upwards, giving the intent to take it from him. He stretched his arms higher, and lifted his back and head from the mattress, to allow her to do so.

As the fabric made it's way from under him and to his hands, she moved quickly, wrapping it around them. The belt was a help, but she didn't try to tie it up, merely wrapped the fabric around his wrists and hands several times.

She sat back, chuckling, so pleased that it had worked, as Hawke tilted his head to look at his hands. Yes, they were bound together, but not tightly, and with very little effort, he could free them. He turned back to face her, his eyebrow up, and his smirk returning.

"I suppose I never learn," he said with a smile. "not to underestimate a pretty face."

"And you will learn the penalty for such a transgression," she replied.

"Torture?" he asked, scoffing. "No problem."

"We will see," she said with a wicked smile. She threw her leg over, to get off of him, and scooted down the bed to stand at its foot. Reaching up, she unbuckled the breastplate, removing it, and placing it on the chair at the nearby desk.

Cat turned back to him, seeing that he was watching her like a… __well…__ she thought as she smiled to herself at the obvious play on words, having no idea what the small curve of her lips was conjuring in the mind of her literally captive audience.

Since she was going to torture him, in the best way possible, she used what knowledge she had of him to throw him off. He liked to be in control, so she took that away. He was always touching her, so she would forbid it. And he liked her hair.

Reaching up, she pulled the small piece of leather from the end of her braid, and placed it on the desk. Painstakingly slowly, she undid the braid piece by piece, and then moved her hands through her hair, finally ending by rubbing her scalp a little and shaking out her tresses.

She was wearing his tunic again, with a knot tied at the back to keep it snug, and she was sure he didn't notice, but she decided to keep it as it was, for the moment. She walked back to the bed, and stopped at the edge.

"I must admit, I am curious how much you will be able to take, before you beg for mercy," she said, as she climbed back up, straddling his torso again, and looking into his eyes.

"I will never beg a templar for anything," he said, and while he smiled, Cat couldn't help but freeze at the gravity of his statement. "Do your worst, __Clara__ ," he added, his tone much lighter, bringing her thoughts back.

"Very well," she replied, leaning forward. "The rules are simple, you cannot use your hands."

"Obviously," he drawled, and gave her a wink.

"And… you cannot make a noise." She eyed him, as his eyebrow rose in question, but he didn't speak. "Break either of these two rules, and I will start again from the beginning. Do you understand?" she asked.

"Perfectly," he said.

She tsk'd at him, shaking her head. "And I have yet to even begin," she said in disappointment.

Cat sat there for a moment or two, trying to decide on her next move. __Now that I've talked a big game, I'm unsure how to actually… finish it,__ she thought. Her hands were in front of her, her fingers grasping the others as she fought off her nerves.

She was suddenly rocked, as Hawke moved his hips, and she looked back to his face, seeing his grin had become a gentle smile. The light and challenge in his eyes gave her a new confidence, and she leaned forward, bringing her mouth to his.

Remembering in that moment to simply do the unexpected and keep Hawke on his toes, Cat didn't kiss him- she nibbled at him. Exploring his lips with teeth and tongue, she moved away as he tried to deepen it into something more. She tilted her head, and brought her cheek to his, rubbing it slowly, and enjoying the scratching, tickling sensation of his beard.

She moved to the other side, making noises that she was sure she would be embarrassed of in any other situation. Seeing his ear, she pounced. She wasn't sure why she enjoyed gnawing on his earlobes, it wasn't something she had even thought of doing with anyone before Hawke, but she shrugged at herself and kept going.

The quiet groans he was emitting, and the way he kept lifting his hands as if to use them and then struggling to keep them down was giving her a large boost of confidence. She used her tongue to lick up the outside of his ear, and then switched to the other side.

After that, she started to slowly inch her way down, kissing behind his ear, nuzzling into his beard, and then kissing in random points on his neck. Some were practically suckling his skin, while others were feather light. She stopped suddenly, sitting up and glaring at him after hearing his moan.

"Naughty, naughty," she said with an evil sounding chuckle. "Now we have to start all over."

He groaned, not bothering to keep it in, as she bent over to his mouth again.

* * *

Hawke was cheerfully, and pleasantly, going insane. He had had fun playing this little game, challenging each other with their words in their roles. But seeing Cat remove the breastplate and take her hair down… he wasn't certain how much longer it would last.

Years ago, when she had mentioned something about role playing, he had written it off as curiosity. True, the mention of it had given him some wonderfully imaginative thoughts, but he had never dreamed anything would come of it. It wasn't something he particularly enjoyed the time he had tried it.

Seeing her smirk at him, and playing with him, was more enjoyable than he thought it would be, and he supposed that it just took the right person to make it fun. Then, she had stopped, and he could see her hesitation- her nerves. Even after he gave her some encouragement, he could see she was tentative.

He made sure to give a few encouraging noises at first, to help build her confidence, because Maker knew, he couldn't help but enjoy the unanticipated way she went about it.

Then, she started toying with him, and he struggled precariously between enjoying what she was doing, and his burning desire to take what he truly wanted. The memory of the last time he gave into that desire is what kept him from doing so again. He wasn't going to waste the opportunity he'd been given.

The combination of her lips firmly on his skin, and the soft almost ticklish sensations of her hair as it brushed and fell over him was vexing. The moan was not a thought out plan, it simply happened. She was evoking all sorts of reactions within him, and when she stopped, he wanted to sit up and beg her to continue.

When she announced that his slip would start the whole process from the beginning? He groaned not out of displeasure- but in the knowledge that he had lost this game, even as he won.

By the time she made her way back to where she had stopped, his body was tingling, his skin aflame. He hadn't known his desire could be strung out to the point of madness, and no matter how he tried to move to get Cat further down where he wanted her, she stayed frustratingly away.

Hawke bit his lip to keep from moaning out loud, as Cat moved to his pecs and closed her mouth over his nipple. He knew he let a sound escape, and she paused, but let it go when he held it back. His body was writhing as she nibbled and sucked on him moving from one side to the other.

She started to scoot very slowly down him, as her hands, hair and lips moved over his stomach. He could feel his muscles clenching at the feel of it, and struggled to keep his arms above him. The robe was doing little but covering his hands now, and he gripped the edge of the mattress in an attempt to stay his hands.

He didn't know how she was able to find his most vulnerable places, places he didn't even know he had, but she did, and exploited them with relish. She would constantly look up at him, with what he was now considering an evil smirk, and move back to her ministrations.

Sex had always been something easy and carefree. Something to enjoy, get a release and walk away whistling. __This__ however, was uncharted territory. He had never purposefully held himself back as he was now, and seriously started questioning if one could go insane from this type of pleasure/torture.

* * *

Cat raised herself up in order to move lower, avoiding rubbing herself against the bulge in his pants, and he groaned again, knowing what he anticipated would be denied.

"Oh… were you wanting something?" she asked with a low chuckle, watching as his hips continued to rock. Feeling somewhat devious, she moved her hand where he could see it, and then moved over to his hips, and firmly covered him with her hand.

His eyes closed, and his hips started pushing upward and the moan he let out had her own center clutching. She felt wanton, and was a little surprised, but mostly pleased with how she was affecting him.

"Oh my, what a noise," she murmured, removing her hand, and his eyes flashed open, frustrated, and onto her. "Seems we'll have to begin again." She gave him a little pout, though he looked like he was almost at his limit, and she didn't know if she even had it in her to do it all again. She had never been so hot, and he hadn't even touched her.

She looked at him in question, before starting to scoot forward to lean over his face.

"Please…"

She looked up at him again, seeing his eyes shut again, feeling a little concerned, but knowing he could have stopped it all if something was wrong.

"If you want me to beg, Cat… then I'm begging."

Her needs changed then, suddenly wanting to finish what she started, to finish him. She raised her eyebrow at him, and scooted back down his legs, brushing herself over him as she did. She looked back up, and met his eyes. "Don't keep quiet anymore," she said softly, looking down. "I don't really know what I'm doing, so I'll need you to help me."

Without waiting for an answer, she leaned forward to pepper his stomach with kisses, as she pulled at the drawstring on his pants.

Hawke's quick intake of breath was the only warning she had before his hips started moving again. She was at somewhat of a loss, since she had never given any man this sort of pleasure with her hands before. She pushed back her sense of wonder, as she wanted to give his assemblage the same attention she had given the rest of him.

Reaching out, and curling her fingers around him, she moved her hands from the tip to the base and back, enjoying the feel of strength under the softness of skin. She found that she hardly needed to move, Hawke seemed to be pumping himself in her hands, and she just watched for a moment.

"Harder," he said and she looked over at him. "Grip harder," he grunted, his hands moved now down by his hips, helping to give himself leverage to push up. She tightened her grip slightly, and then again at his urging until he groaned. She smiled, excited that she was able to give him such pleasure. She started to mimic his movements, and the noises he made became even louder.

He gave her a few more commands, and like a girl at school learning a new favorite subject, she was enraptured with the information. She wanted to watch his face, but was concentrating too much on what she was doing, wanting to get it right. __Next time,__ she promised herself.

He was straining, pumping erratically as she continued her ministrations. She watched him move, even as she wondered how he could be lasting this long. She knew her own experience wasn't even in the same league as Hawke, but she knew he hadn't been sleeping well the past few nights either.

Her thoughts turned as curiosity got the better of her, and leaning forward a bit more, she decided a quick taste couldn't hurt. __The rest of him was wonderful, so this would be too, right?__ Like he was a treat in her hand, she leaned down and ran her tongue over the tip in a long lick.

With a cry that sounded almost like a roar, his body froze and Cat did the same, wondering what she had done. The next moment, she closed her eyes, because her face was suddenly covered. She didn't let him go, and finished him off, and then sat back, laughing.

Loosening the tunic at her back, she pulled the excess fabric up and wiped off her face. __Being with Hawke is giving me all sorts of new experiences,__ she mused humorously. Once she could see again, she turned to look at him, and smiled softly.

He was exhausted, and sprawled over the bed his pants around his thighs, trying to keep himself awake, but losing that battle. She moved to sit up, feeling her hair pull, and looked back. She grinned this time, seeing his hand wrapped and tangled in the ends of her hair. Deciding that cuddling while he got some rest was the best decision for the moment, and doubting that she could even get the tunic off now if she tried- she crawled closer, stretching out beside him and laying down in the space between his chest and his arm, nestled into him.

His arm moved to wrap around her, and he mumbled something that she couldn't quite make out. She thought of her own body's aching, even as it slowly calmed, and ascertained that she'd have a hard time keeping Hawke off of her once he woke. The anticipation had her grinning, and her nerves tingling. She may have put him first this time, but she didn't regret it. Still, she couldn't wait for the next time. She kicked off her own pants, and joined him in sleep.

* * *

Garrett frowned at the light glowing behind his eyelids. As he became more aware of himself, he knew he felt better than he had in awhile, yet still a bit dissatisfied. And not because he was mostly naked.

Hearing the tolling of the bell, he counted them, and threw open his eyes, surprised that it was already almost nine bells. Looking down at himself, he saw his sleep pants around his shins, and decided to simply kick them off.

Sitting up, he enjoyed a good stretch, his mind bringing back wonderful memories of the night before, and his immediate thought was to find Cat. She had tortured him for quite awhile, and he was determined to pay her back in kind.

A small sigh has his head whipping to the right, and he grinned, seeing the object of his interest curled at the very edge of the bed, facing away from him. Taking a moment to decide his plan of attack, he started moving slowly to edge toward her.

He slowly started pulling the blankets from her, carefully, so as not to wake her yet. She curled up a little at the change, but stayed asleep. He looked her up and down, enjoying that she was wearing his tunic, even though he agreed that she would never return it. He was also __really__ liking that that was all she wore.

He slid closer, positioning himself behind her. He reached out, one arm over and the other sliding under her, and with a slow and steady movement, he started pulling her into him.

She was almost spooned against him, as he wanted, when she rolled over, bringing her face directly into his chest. He pulled back so she could breathe, and with a little sigh, she settled again.

He praised his luck that she was sleeping deeply, and decided it must be the bed, because when they were traveling it wasn't the case. He debated with himself on whether to start from the head down, or the toes up, when she started blinking, and stretched, arching her back and pushing her breasts into his chest.

That's when Hawke stopped thinking, and went with instinct.

He wanted his hands everywhere, but he forced himself to take it slow. He __had__ to get even for the night before after all. Reaching down, he slid his hand under the tunic at her back, and grabbed onto her rear, rubbing his hand up and down, grabbing and pulling her closer. His head bent down and he began placing kisses on her face, coming nearer to her lips with each pass.

He smiled as she struggled to understand what was happening, not yet fully awake, and having her senses assaulted. The noise she made was partly a moan and partly a sigh, and he determined to have her moaning loudly very soon.

* * *

Cat had had an __extremely__ pleasant dream, and when the dream disappeared, she kept her eyes closed and sighed, not wanting to wake up. Feeling herself becoming more and more conscious, she stretched a little, and wondered what was going on. __Am I still curled up next to Garrett?__ she wondered.

Feeling a warm hand on her, brought back the dream to her mind, and she felt herself sinking back into it. The kisses on her face were new, and her mind became more aware, even as she let herself just lay there and feel.

Her eyes opened, and she smiled at him before he moved his head to find her neck. Kissing and nipping along her jaw, Cat raised her chin and turned to give him easier access. SHe moved her hands to the back of his head, enjoying the feel of his hair.

He moved her leg over his hip, pulling her even closer, and she moaned again, feeling her body coming alive with every touch.

"Garrett, are you awake?" Leandra's voice sounded, even as the doorknob turned. Cat jerked like she had been shot, and wriggled to reach the blankets to hide.

Hawke held on to her as best he could, calling out, "Awake yes, decent, no!"

Leandra had started into the room, but turned herself away at his words. "Sorry darling," she replied with a chuckle. "I just wanted to tell you that your friends were here, waiting for you, and Cat."

Cat, trying to free herself all this time, wrenched herself away, just as Hawke let her go. She rolled right off the bed and onto the floor with an "Oof!"

Hawke leaned over, and grinned at her from the bed. "You all right sweetheart?" he asked cheekily.

"Never better," she grimaced, throwing the blanket at him.

"Tell them to come back in an hour," Hawke said loudly to his mother.

"They've already been here waiting for two," she said, disapproval in her voice. "Come on now, sleepy heads, you can't spend all day in bed when you've made plans with others."

Cat lowered her face to the mattress, burning red in embarrassment. "We'll be right there," she called out, though it came out muffled.

"Very good," Leandra replied, and retreated, shutting the door behind her.

Cat looked up as she felt Hawke shift closer. He was pouting at her.

"I've only gotten started," he groused.

"Who's fault is that for sleeping so long?" she asked, standing up. She looked down at the tunic, knowing what was on it. "I need another shirt," she told him.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled playfully, coming after her. She held up her hand, and he stopped.

"We did plan this Hawke," she said. "And knowing that they are all down there waiting for us, knowing what we would be doing…" she trailed off and shook her head. "Nope. We'll have to pick up later when we get home."

"Ugh," he grunted. "It's my day, I should get to decide," he complained.

She gave him a glare. "You did decide, you big baby. And all of them made time to spend the day with you, so that's what we are going to do." She moved toward the closet, intent on changing clothes. "Besides, I picked these smalls especially for today," she said as she reached down and pulled the tunic over her head.

She had had the underwear made to wear underneath her dress for the banquet, but hadn't had the chance to show them off until now. True, they had been a surprise for the previous night, but she was just as happy to see the look on his face now.

They were made from the excess fabric of the dress, and had the same crest sewn into the front, just off center. She had also explained the idea of boyshorts to Serine, who had made them perfectly, and they flattered her curves.

Seeing his face, as she grabbed her bra and walked to his closet in nothing but her boyshorts, she smirked to herself a little. She knew she was riling him up, but she felt she would have an unforgettable evening after spending the day getting him worked up.

Knowing Hawke's jealous side, even when it came to their friends, she had taken one of her tight shirts, and cut the sleeves off, giving herself essentially a tankini to swim in. But, it was packed in her bag, that Fenris was bringing, so she needed something else to wear until then.

Putting on her bra and grabbing a clean tunic, she pulled it tight and tied it behind her. Turning back to the room, she saw Hawke was finally out of bed, and walking toward her. He grabbed her, pulling her close and rubbing his hand over her backside again.

"I liked the look of these before, but even more so now that I've had a closer inspection," he murmured to her. He pushed himself closer and smirked at her sharp gasp, as she felt his arousal on her belly.

"Perhaps I'll win this time," he said, and let her go, walking to the wardrobe. He pulled out some clothes and started getting dressed. Once they were ready, Cat went to pick up the breastplate. "No, that stays here," Hawke said, pushing it back down to the chair. "I want a souvenir to remember this night forever."

"While that's a lovely thought, I need to return it to Cullen," she replied, tugging up on it.

He smirked at her again. "Sorry, not happening." He took her hands so she couldn't try again, and pulled her towards the door. "Now come on," he said, opening the door. He leaned in close as she passed by him. "I can't wait to get you wet," he murmured, grinning when she glanced up at him.

 _ _It's going to be an interesting day,__ she thought as they went downstairs, preparing herself to hear all sorts of harassment from their friends.

* * *

Cat looked around, enjoying the company she was keeping. Yes, they had all given a few good-natured jokes on her and Hawke's behalf, but it was nothing like she thought it would be. She had the thought that perhaps they were worried she wouldn't take it well or something.

Aveline seemed more upset about waiting than anything, though having Donnic accompanying her helped in that regard. He was quiet, as usual, but had a smile on his face, so Cat knew he was enjoying getting to know his wife's friends.

She thought back to the two ladies she had brought along, to stay at Hawke's house and keep Leandra company. When Hawke questioned her about it, they found that they were guards, dressed out of uniform, to ensure that Hawke needn't worry about home while he was gone for the day.

Cat smiled at the memory, looking over at Aveline, and reaching down to stroke Hafter's head, as a thought popped into her mind.

"Hey Aveline," she said, getting the older woman's attention. "Since this day is for Hawke, I feel like we need to share some stories." Aveline smirked, knowing what she was asking for. "So do you have any from the time before the rest of us met him?" she asked.

"Hmm, those were surely not the most pleasant days," Aveline responded, and Hawke looked at her in surprise. "It was just Hawke, me and Carver, you know, working off the debt that got us into the city."

"Really?" Merrill asked. "Why couldn't you get in?"

"At that time Merrill, the blight had caused Fereldens to flee their country," Hawke explained, adjusting the bags that he was carrying to get a better grip. "There were so many of the refugees, that Kirkwall decided they couldn't take any more, and began stopping anyone from entering the city, unless they could prove they had legitimate business."

"Or, in other words Daisy," Varric added, "they had to prove they had money, and a bribe was one way to do that."

"Some just snuck in," Anders added.

"Oh no, does that mean you all made a bribe for me?" Merrill said as she looked around in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me, I would have gladly paid you back!"

"We didn't tell you, because we didn't pay anything," Hawke said with a smile at her. "By that time, most of the refugees went back to Ferelden, and there was no longer anyone stopping people from coming into the city."

"Oh, thank goodness," Merrill replied in relief. "Because I don't really have any money."

They all smiled and some shook their heads, and Aveline spoke back up. "At this time, we were working for a mercenary group called the Red Iron. It wasn't a good job, but all three of us were determined to do our best."

"And they did," Varric spoke up again. "Though Hawke got most of the credit."

"Something I was grateful for," Aveline said. "I actually only worked with Hawke for half that year. I was granted a position with the guard and Hawke pushed his weight around to enable me to join up."

"And a wonderful day that was," Donnic added softly to his wife, though the others heard him plainly.

Cat glanced over at the man next to her. "I didn't know you did that," she said with a smile, and his mabari barked happily.

He smirked back at her. "Well, it was the best thing really. Aveline would make a much better guard than a mercenary, and most of the Red Iron was happy to see her go."

The others chuckled, even Aveline. "That sounds like an insult, but I'll take it as a compliment," she replied.

"Besides, those days weren't nearly as fun as once we met Varric," Hawke continued. "With the Red Iron, it was all, __Kill him, oh, and kill that one too,"__ he said in a loud voice, mimicking someone.

Aveline chuckled, as it obviously reminded her of person Hawke was imitating. "I'm surprised we haven't had to deal with Meeran," she said to Hawke. "Wasn't the last thing he said, __You'll regret crossing me,__ " she said in a low voice, trying to mimic as Hawke did.

"He's definitely not one to let go of grudges," Hawke replied. "But he's also not one to worry about. Any of our crew could take him down easily, even though he's an accomplished rogue."

"So then you met Varric," Merrill said, changing the topic back. "Who was after that?" she asked.

"That would be me," Anders replied. "Varric got Hawke involved in the Deep Road expedition, and heard that there was a Grey Warden hanging around the city. They came looking for me, to find out information on the Deep Roads."

"And then?" she asked curiously.

"And then Fenris," Varric said, which had Cat and Isabela turning to look at him in surprise. "Though we did meet our two pirates first, Fenris actually joined us before they did."

"True," Isabela said with a smirk. "Kitty and I had to be sure about you all before we could commit to being a part of the crew."

"Technically," Hawke spoke up, "you two ladies were the last to join."

"Hey," Cat protested. "Sebastian didn't join until after the Deep Roads!"

"Yes, but you two were always trying to go your own way, and we never knew if you would up and leave. It wasn't until after Sebastian joined that we were sure you were a part of us," Hawke explained.

"No wonder you gave us such attitude," Isabela teased him. "You were worried you'd lose the most valuable members of your team!"

That last part had the others protesting, not believing that Isabela could be counted more valuable than themselves. Hawke looked around, dumbfounded, that the others would actually want him to somehow rank them by order of value, because they were all precious to him. Cat chuckled, and moved closer to where Fenris was walking along, followed by Sebastian.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Useless," he responded immediately, looking down at his empty hands. Cat cleared her throat, and looked pointedly to her own empty hands. "It is not the same," he replied, frustrated. "Hawke merely took your items for you because he cares for you. I am not allowed to carry anything because I am weak."

"No," she replied. "I took your items for you, because I care for __you.__ Hawke then took them from me, because he cares for me. So we are the same." She glared at him then. "Are you saying I'm useless?" she demanded, and Hafter, who had followed her growled.

"Of course not," he grumbled to her.

"What Fenris means to say," Sebastian chimed in, "is that he is tired of recuperating, and wants to be back to full health, so he's grumpy."

"You know I could help you with that," Anders spoke up, and Fenris glared at him. Cat turned to give him a look as well.

"You're not helping," she told him.

"Well, I try to treat all my companions equally, and I would do it for anyone else, so I wanted to offer to him as well," Anders replied, though the smirk on his face belied his words.

"Whatever," Fenris muttered.

"So Kitty," Isabela started, an evil grin on her face. "What had you so occupied this morning? We were waiting forever!"

Cat held her blush at bay, and gave Isabela a simple smile. "Sorry, Hawke fell asleep, so I decided to just stay there. Then Leandra walked in and woke us up, and said you had been waiting. I had no idea we would sleep that long!"

She kept her smile innocent, even as Isabela frowned and studied her face. "So nothing happened?" Isabela demanded, not believing it.

"What do you mean Issy?" Cat asked, tilting her head in faux confusion.

"Ugh! You're impossible!" Isabela groused, and stormed ahead of the group, Hafter following after her in order to be in front.

The group was silent for a bit, before Hawke could no longer keep his laughter at bay, and snorted, which opened the flood gates for both of them.

"Wait, so did something happen then?" Anders asked, mouth gaping open, his eyes lighting up.

Hawke didn't answer vocally, but he slid over to Cat and gave her a kiss on the cheek, with a loud sounding, "Mwah!"

Cat chuckled and pushed him away. "Come on everyone, let's catch up to Issy," she said.

"So what was it?" Anders asked, not to be deterred. "Was it the banquet? Or the dress? Because she looked unbelievable in that."

"I can attest to hearing many rumors that night of Hawke's lady's dress," Donnic added with a smile to Cat, even as he nudged his wife's shoulder.

"It's true," Aveline added, glancing at her husband. "I tried to arrest several foul mouthed ladies, but Donnic prevented me." She glared at Donnic then, and he chuckled.

"I don't believe gossiping is against the law," he replied.

Cat laughed aloud at that, enjoying her friends so very much. "Thank you for the effort regardless, Aveline," she said. Looking back over at Fenris, who was still pouting, she looked back to Hawke with a helpless expression on her face.

"Oy, Fenris," Hawke called out to him, and the elf looked up. "Will you hold Cat's hand for me?" he asked.

Fenris looked bewildered, but Cat reached over and grabbed his hand before he could decide what to do.

"I'd hate for her to trip or anything," Hawke continued. "She can be clumsy you know." He smiled at Cat, and gave her a wink, even as she gaped at him. "Now, I'm trusting you with one of my people," he said. "You carry valuable cargo there, so be careful."

Though it was a simple thing, Cat watched the corners of Fenris' mouth twitch upward, into what could almost be a smile. He gave Cat's hand a squeeze, and continued forward, holding himself a little higher.

Cat glanced over at Hawke, as he spoke with some of his other companions, and felt as her heart slipped over the line she had held it at, and fell completely. The fear and the worry came with it, and she tried to understand how she had let herself fall in love.

* * *

A long day of relaxation shouldn't be tiring, but after swimming and eating, and sunbathing the afternoon away, the group headed home in good spirits, and an enjoyable fatigue.

Though Cat had spent most of the day with Hawke, it was hardly the type of together either of them were wanting. As they made their way toward the city, there was still talk among them all on varying subjects.

"So, Little Dove," Varric said, as he moved closer to her. "It is almost your name day I hear."

"I suppose it is," she said with a shrug. "Though there is no need to make a big deal out of it."

"Well we should have a celebration at the very least," Isabela spoke up. "Drinking all night long!"

"That's your idea of a celebration, not Cat's," Aveline muttered.

"Cat likes it too," Isabela said defensively. "And once she gets drunk, Hawke will __really__ like it."

"Oh?" Hawke asked, intrigued.

"Not happening," Cat said dryly in response, and Isabela pouted.

"So what do you want for a present?" Merrill asked Cat. "Something special from Hawke, maybe?" she teased happily.

Cat looked over at Hawke, enjoying the grin on his face. __It is really amazing how much they all love seeing us together,__ she thought.

"I don't know, I think my present will be better than Hawke's," Varric said with mock seriousness, and Cat chuckled.

"I don't need any presents," she said happily, "just all of you."

"Aww…" Merrill and Isabela said, though Merrill meant it, and Isabela was pretending to gag herself.

"My gift will surpass all others," Fenris said suddenly, and they all turned to look at him.

"Really?" Cat asked, giggling at the impassioned way her pronounced this.

"Yes," he replied with a nod. He took a deep breath, letting it out and then stopped in his tracks and said, "Hawke."

Garrett stopped as well, which brought the entire party to a halt. They all looked back and forth between the two males, wondering what was happening.

Cat wondered if Hawke was about to get the whole, __hurt Cat and I kill you__ speech, and admitted that she wouldn't mind hearing it, just for fun. Plus, who knew what would come out of Hawke's mouth?

"I need you to give your word to Cat," Fenris said, and eyebrows went up everywhere.

"What about?" Hawke asked.

"That you won't ever again leave her, to keep her safe."

Hawke froze at that, looking over at Cat, who also looked stricken. "Uh…" she said. "Fenris, it's… I mean, that's not…"

Hawke watched as she tried to say something but failed, and he realized that this was indeed something that she wanted from him. Very much in fact, by her reaction. Walking over to Cat, he grabbed her hand, and brought it to his lips.

"My lady Cat," he said with a smile. "I give you a promise, not to leave you in order to keep you safe. In return, I would ask something of you as well." She looked up at him, and he continued. "I would ask that you do what you can to keep yourself safe, even if it means staying home."

Cat scrutinized his face, and finally nodded. "I'll agree to try, and if it is truly a danger, I will stay back. However, that will be up to everyone to decide, not just you, or me."

Hawke grumbled a bit, pouting at her. "Is it such a bad thing to want you safe?" he asked.

"Of course not," she said with a smile, reaching up to put her hand on his face. "But I feel safest when I am with you."

She moved over to Fenris as well, and gave him a hug. "That was a perfect present, thank you so much!" she said happily.

"Technically, that was from Hawke," Isabela said dryly, Varric and Anders nodding along with her.

"That's not my present," Hawke denied. "I've got something else in mind."

"And technically, it's not her name day yet," Sebastian pointed out. "So I'm afraid it doesn't count."

Fenris glared at all of them, and Hawke laughed out loud. "Sorry my friend," he said to Fenris. "It seems we all want a chance in this little contest."

"I've already won," Fenris said haughtily, and took Cat's hand again. "Let's get you home," he said to her.

"I feel like I don't even have a chance," Merrill said sorrowfully.

"I feel like they are going to make me pick a winner," Cat said back to her. "Want to trade places?" she asked.

"You think it will be hard to choose?" Merrill asked her.

"Choosing between all of my best friends and the man I love?" Cat asked her skeptically. "How will I do that?"

"I suppose that would be difficult," Merrill said, as they walked on, missing how Hawke had frozen and was staring at their backs in stunned silence.


	79. Chapter 79- Assassins

He blended seamlessly into the shadows, his eyes sharp as they searched the surrounding areas and he made his way stealthily to the building. The candle light in the upper room wasn't much, but from where he was standing, and against the darkness of the night it was like a beacon calling him forward.

He was tired of all of this, but energized now as well- he knew he was actually getting somewhere. The Crows were scrambling, using any means necessary to catch him. Too bad for them, he had no intention of being caught.

Standing at the east wall, he carefully removed his leather gloves, and tucked them into his belt. Using his hands, he felt along the wall, looking for just the right place to start climbing.

Finding the uneven stones he was looking for, he stepped back and gave himself a little jumping start, his hands easily finding purchase, and the sharp points on the toes of his greaves helping to steady himself. Moving his feet first, in a methodical and unhurried manner, he moved slowly and steadily up the wall, stopping to the side of the lit window, where he waited.

Hearing the angry voices, as the men he had followed moved into the room, he heard them cursing his name as they readied themselves for bed. His lips parted and he smiled cagily. Little did they know the object of their anger was so near.

Zevran adjusted himself slightly, getting comfortable in his perch, and releasing the wall with one hand in order to adjust his crow shaped cowl. He could hear them well enough, but he didn't want to miss a single word. These minions were going to lead him to the man he had been searching for for over a year, and he felt his anticipation grow as he realized just how close he was.

"He didn't make it, obviously," a voice snapped, and Zevran tuned back in to the conversation. "Or he'd be here by now."

"If __he__ couldn't succeed, then we don't stand a chance in hell," another voice stated. "It's not like kidnapping is our forte, you know."

"This is the only way to get him to come to us, and you know it," the first snapped again. "If you have a better idea, you can bring it up with the Master himself."

The silence indicated that no one had any better ideas, and Zevran smirked to himself, almost wanting to show them they had already succeeded in luring him in.

"The Master wants the girl, so we get the girl."

His smirk was gone, quick as a blink, and he leaned in closer to the window, confusion at the forefront of his emotions.

"Why does he want some Marcher whore anyway?" another asked. "And how will that help catch Arainai?"

"I don't know," the first replied angrily. "All I know is that the Master spent most of his fortune to discover her, and he won't stop until he has her. That means, we either succeed, or die trying. And the master's given the job to any of the guilds, so we don't have much time."

"No point going back now then," the second voice said, determined. "He'd kill us anyway for coming back empty handed."

Zevran stopped listening to their words, though he kept himself aware of what they were doing. His mind whirling, his guts churning… The disappointment of not being led to the man was thought and then let go as he focused on what they had said. Turning his head, he snuck closer to the window, peeking around the edge to look inside.

 _ _Only three of them?__ he asked himself. __Very well.__ He moved very slowly, getting into position to take them by surprise. Listening again, he paused, hoping they would share more specifics, but even if they didn't he knew what he was fearing was the truth. Either way, none of them would make it to the Free Marches. __None of them were going to make it out of this building__ , he vowed to himself.

* * *

Fenris tugging on her hand, and keeping her from moving forward, was the first indication to Cat that something was wrong. A split second later, the others in the group had their weapons out and ready for a fight. Cat looked around herself in dismay, as her daggers were in one of the bags, and she didn't know who was carrying it.

Cat shielded her eyes from the bright light of Fenris' lyrium tattoos as they flared to life, and turned away so that she could see. The battle calls and yells coming at them let her know that they were indeed being attacked, but she had no idea who would attack them just before they entered the city. Everyone knew who Hawke was, and attacking when all of them were with him was simply foolish.

 _ _And it was such a perfect, relaxing day,__ she thought. Cat kept her back to Fenris, but stuck close, since he didn't have his sword. It didn't make him less deadly, but she was worried how he would fare once the adrenaline of the fight was gone.

Hawke glanced over his shoulder in concern, seeing Fenris moving toward the man he was facing, seeing Cat keeping pace with him as she defended his back. He put his hands up and shot an arcane bolt at the man in front of him, and turned to shout. "Cat! Get back here!"

She glanced up as she continued to dodge the short swords that were slicing through the air at her. She noted with surprise the distance there was between where they fought and the rest of the crew. She suddenly understood the broad swings of the man in front of her, and her gaze narrowed.

 _ _He's missing on purpose,__ she thought, impressed. Since she hadn't noticed, she knew now she was dealing with a very talented warrior… and she didn't have a weapon. She had thought she was on top of her game, but it turned out as she watched the man from this new perspective, he was giving tells of his upcoming swings.

 _ _That means, he's not trying to kill me,__ the thought appeared unwillingly, and stuck in her craw. Feeling reckless, and annoyed, she stopped dodging to see what he would do. She heard the yell from Isabela, as she stood in front of him, and felt the shock as he adjusted mid swing.

He wasn't able to stop it completely, and one sword cut into her arm, leaving her with a large gash, that immediately started bleeding down her arm. The man sneered at her, jabbing the swords toward her, in an attempt to have her step back again, but keeping her feet planted, Cat took the small pokes, and smirked at him.

"Who are you?" she demanded, and the man sneered again, as his only answer.

"I think we both know now that you don't want to kill me," she growled out. "So what do you want?"

With a side step, he avoided the knife Isabela was about to plant in his back, and brought his short swords up again to face off with her, as she continued to go after him. "Kitty, get out of the way!" Isabela yelled, pushing the man back and away from her friend.

Cat watched the man again, noting that he was no longer pulling his attacks. He was trying to kill Isabela, where he had only been playing with her. Feeling a hand grab her arm, she winced at the pain she felt, and turned her head to see another unfamiliar face looking at her with contempt.

"You come now, and we won't kill them," he said quietly, but forcefully. Cat jumped as a spectral hand came through his chest swiftly, and disappeared again. The man released her as he struggled and writhed in pain.

"Who sent you?!" Fenris seethed from behind them. The man whose heart he gripped took halting breaths, but didn't respond. He looked back at Cat and smirked. She could see that he was in an immense amount of pain, from the way he could hardly get a breath, but Fenris didn't let up.

The man said nothing, and Fenris crushed his heart with fury. The man fell to the ground in front of them, and he and Cat looked out to see the others in the crew were surrounding Isabela and the man with the twin swords.

Aveline and Donnic came over to see if the two of them were all right, as the mages and the archers aimed their weapons. Anders struck first, freezing the man where he stood with ice around his legs.

The attacker nearly fell over, but the ice held him up. He continued to swing his swords, but Isabela stepped back out of his range, sheathing her daggers over her shoulders. Cat watched dispassionately as both Varric and Sebastian fired arrows into the man's shoulders, giving him incentive to speak, but he remained silent to all their questions.

Anders raised his staff again, and the man looked around. Finding Cat he gave her a wicked smirk and blew her a kiss. "We're not done," he said to her, not looking away as Anders' spell hit him, and then a moment later he was blown apart by Hawke's stone throw spell.

To say they were all shaken would be a bit of an understatement, and they were quiet as they gathered together away from the road, removing the bodies, and reassuring themselves that they were all alive and well. Anders moved over to Isabela, helping her sit and calling his magic forth to help with her wounds.

Cat was turned, to find Hawke had her arm cradled in his hands while he searched her for other trauma. She smiled at him, and shook her head. Trusting her, he moved his hands over to her wound even as they started radiating light.

Looking down at the lovely aqua colored glow emanating from Hawke's hands, Cat couldn't helped but feel awed at seeing the magic knit her open skin back together, no matter how many times she witnessed it. It was familiar, but she noted a change as well.

"It's more green," she said quietly, and Hawke glanced at her before focusing back on his tasks. Finishing quickly, he used his finger to wipe away the blood and check to ensure she was completely healed.

"What is?" he asked as he finally finished and gave her his attention, even as his hand moved over her stomach, closing the small pricks immediately.

"Your magic," she answered. "The last time, it was blue, like Anders. Now its more of an aqua color."

He raised an eyebrow in question before holding up his hand. The magic made his palm glow in a bright blue color.

"Hmm, that's weird," she said, looking confused.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Anders said as he finished up with Isabela. "Magic can appear differently depending on the moods of the mage, if they are feeling something strongly enough."

Cat looked back to Hawke, and he shrugged, so she responded in kind. It wasn't as if it was a problem after all. "It was pretty," she replied.

"Not to rain on your picnic, but does anyone know who these people were? And why they were willing to die instead of speak?"

Everyone was silent again, and Isabela stood awkwardly, helped up by Anders. "It's obvious," she said as she stalked over to Cat.

Cat reached out to help her, as Isabela looked unsteady on her feet. __She must have been more wounded than she first appeared,__ Cat thought unhappily.

"Obvious?" Hawke asked, watching as Isabela avoided Cat's hands and reaching out, slapped her across the face… hard. Cat's head flew back from the impact, and shock was the only thing that let Isabela raise her hand to stop him before he moved.

He waited, impatiently, as Cat shook her head, her hand raised to her own cheek which was now bright red. He noted with surprise that she didn't look angry… in fact she looked __guilty.__

"I'm sorry Issy," she said, rubbing her cheek with care to get rid of the stinging.

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Isabela snapped back. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Uh… someone want to fill us in?" Varric asked, and the others all looked to him in bewilderment, before looking back to the two ladies who were squared off.

"Sure," Isabela mocked as she gestured to Cat. "Perhaps you'd better explain before Hawke decides to avenge you."

Cat glanced over to Hawke, seeing he was indeed furious with Isabela. "I… deserved it," she said to the others, who looked at her in surprise. "When Hawke yelled out about how Fenris and I were moving away from the group, I realized that the man with the twin swords wasn't actually trying to hit me. He was striking out in a way to get me to move in the direction he wanted."

She saw that while Hawke and Isabela were still focused on her, the others turned to look at each other in question.

"I didn't understand why, so I stopped moving, to see what he would do."

"You mean, you moved another direction?" Hawke asked shrewdly.

"No," Isabela replied for her. "She stopped moving altogether, to see if he would actually hit her or not."

"What?!"

Cat couldn't tell who exactly was in on that shout, most likely everyone. "He was using all his skill to ensure that I felt like he was trying to kill me, but without actually landing a hit. I don't need to explain how talented he was in order to __do__ that."

"No, you do not," Fenris said as he moved up along side her. "But that was foolish, and you know it."

"That first hit told me everything I needed to know. I wasn't going to stand there and let him kill me," she replied with a roll of her eyes.

She looked over, hearing Isabela snort in derision. "Okay, yes, it was reckless, and I deserved your hit," she told her friend. "But thanks for getting his attention." She turned to Fenris. "And thanks for taking care of the other one."

"This is more concerning than we originally thought," Fenris said to Hawke, after nodding to Cat. "These men were no mere mercenaries. They were trained fighters, and adept in withstanding torture. We would have gotten nothing from them, even had we persisted in our interrogation."

"Ringing any bells Kitty?" Isabela asked, her face still a hard mask, but Cat could see the worry in her eyes. "Trained killers who would rather be tortured and die than speak?"

Cat's face was now showing the worry that Isabela kept back. "It can't be…" she said quietly as her hand came up to her mouth. "Why would they be here?"

"I don't know," Isabela said wearily.

"Ladies?" Varric asked, pushing forward to them. "Mind sharing?"

"Crows," Isabela said quietly.

Hawke glanced over at Isabela, the unbelief on his face. "Who would have the resources and clout to have the assassins from Antiva coming after me?"

"That's just it Hawke," Isabela said gravely as she glanced at him. She turned back to Cat. "I don't think they're after you at all."

Cat looked down at her feet, knowing all her friend's eyes were on her. She didn't know how to explain, since she didn't know herself what was happening. The crows weren't known for abducting, they were assassins. None of this was making sense.

She looked up at Hawke as he pulled her to him, his arms around her. He looked down, into her eyes. "They can't have you," he said softly. "You belong with us, and we'll make sure it stays that way."

* * *

Cat rolled her eyes at Isabela's sympathetic look.

"All I'm saying, is that if I were you, I'd probably have imploded by now."

"Lack of sex does not make one implode," Cat replied dryly.

"Well, you'd be the expert there," Isabela said with a wicked smirk, and Cat glared at her over her mug, taking a long drink.

"It's not like I haven't tried," Cat said, between mouthfuls of ale. "He's just so hell bent on keeping me safe, as well as finding out where the Crows are. I don't think he sleeps at all, just goes until he's too exhausted to move, and then wakes up to start all again."

"And you don't ever think of making that decision __for__ him?" Isabela asked, her eyebrows wiggling at her friend.

"Believe me, I've tried," Cat pouted. Then her smile turned warm. "He just wants to hold me. Says it's the only way he can sleep, knowing I'm safe beside him."

"That's just too lovey-dovey Kitty, I think I'm going to be sick," Isabela said with a grimace, and Cat gave her a grin.

"You do look sort of green," she teased.

Isabela shook her head, finishing off her own drink and motioning Corff for another, swiveling on her bar stool to face Cat.

"Not that I mind the extra time we spend together, but this has been the longest weeks of my life," she complained.

Cat gave a disgusted look, turning as well. "You? Try being the one who can't have a single moment to myself. I made the mistake of getting up the other night to pee. Hawke was yelling and running through the house like there was a blood mage wreaking havoc."

Isabela smirked again, putting her elbow on the bar and her chin in her hand. "And then?" she asked.

Cat flushed a little, wondering why she had brought this up. __Because Issy's your best friend, and you miss talking to her…__ she told herself. "Then I was calling for him, trying to get him to shut up, because everyone was sleeping," Cat continued.

Giving a big sigh, she covered her eyes with her hand. "He barely heard me, and only after he had woken everyone up. Then he came bursting in, breaking down the door in the process."

Isabela started laughing, covering her mouth to save Cat the embarrassment, but wasn't very successful.

"Yeah, laugh it up," Cat mourned. "The best part, was how he got into the room, then just stared at me sitting there for like a full minute. Once his brain engaged, he apologized, and left… but the door's hinges were broken, and I could see him standing right outside it, like he was a guard or something. We didn't speak at all for quite awhile after that."

Now Isabela was laughing loudly, not able to keep it in. "Ah, that poor man," she said, wiping a tear from escaping her eye.

"Poor man?!" Cat groused. "What about poor me?"

"Yeah, poor you, having to deal with a man being so completely in love with you he can't stand the idea that something could happen to you."

The pair of them turned to stare at Corff in bafflement.

"Uh, no offense Corff, but…" Cat started, only to have the bartender wave her off.

"Didn't mean anything by it, Cat," he said, as he dropped off their drink refills, and walked to the other end of the bar.

"Obviously, we've spent far too long in here complaining," Cat said quietly to Isabela.

"I guess, though between you and everyone trying to find out anything they can about the Crows for the past couple of weeks, its no wonder Corff's heard as much as he has," she replied.

"Can we get out of here?" Cat asked, looking at her drink, wondering if she actually wanted it.

"And go where?" Isabela asked, glancing at her. "There's only so many places that have been approved by Hawke."

"Ugh," Cat muttered. "This is driving me crazy!" She turned to Isabela, pleading. "C'mon Issy, I need a break! If you come with me, I'll be fine!"

"Kitty, they attacked us on the road with all of us there," Isabela stated, though Cat could see she was considering it.

"Look, how about I go see Cullen?" she offered. "Nothing can happen to me on the ferry, and then I'll be surrounded by templars. You can drop me off, and come back to get me! How's a free afternoon sound?"

Isabela looked at her, her eyebrow lifting as she analyzed Cat's demeanor. She hadn't seen Cat look that happy or excited in the two weeks since the last attack by the crows.

"Okay," she agreed, downing her drink, and reaching for Cat's. "But we keep it quiet, and I stick with you until you're in Cullen's hands…. so to speak."

Cat rolled her eyes, but jumped out of her seat, all smiles. Once Isabela finished and stood, Cat threw her arms around her and squeezed. "Thank you Issy."

Isabela smiled genuinely, patting her back. "Yeah, yeah, now you owe me. You'd better pay the man, so we can go."

Cat didn't hesitate, digging out coins and tossing them on the bar, then dragging her friend out the door.

* * *

"Cat, my friend! It's been too long!"

"Cullen!" Cat answered, throwing herself at him in a hug, and the almost desperate way she did so, had Cullen's cheeks reddening. He glanced up, looking questioningly at the woman that had accompanied her.

"It's been a rough couple of weeks," Isabela said by way of explanation. "Some men are trying to get to Kitty in order to hurt a friend. Or so we think."

Cullen looked surprised at this, and put his armored hand lightly on Cat's head, as if he could protect her from the world. "I knew there were some that didn't like the Champion, but that seems excessive," he said, troubled.

"It's not Hawke," Cat mumbled against him, and when the other two were silent, she pulled herself away from Cullen. "It's someone else, from back in Ferelden," she said quietly.

Cullen, though concerned, nodded. "I am truly sorry then, I will do what I can to ensure they are not successful." He paused a moment, as it all sunk in, then he gave her a narrowed look. "Then what are you doing here? You should be somewhere safe!"

Cat smiled back at him. "Are you saying I'm not safe here, with all the templars?" she asked, causing him to splutter.

"N-no of course you are, but only the two of you coming here, what were you thinking?" he asked.

"I'm thinking it's been two weeks of being followed everywhere I go, I am getting tired of it," she replied. "I don't want to do anything foolish and put myself in danger, but I needed some new scenery besides the Hawke estate and the Hanged Man."

"Uh, oh…" he replied.

"I don't want to trouble you, Cullen, but I thought I could just… you know __be__ here. You can go about your work, and I can have a peaceful afternoon. Issy will come pick me up later."

Cullen looked from Cat, to her friend and back again. "Very well," he relented, knowing he wasn't ever able to deny her something that was within his power to give. He looked back up to Isabela. "However, I can take her home, with a contingent of templars. It would give me peace of mind to know I saw her back safely."

"That, I can understand," Isabela said with a smirk. "Getting here with just the two of us was nerve-wracking enough."

Cat looked at her in surprise. "Issy, if you were worried, you should of said something," she said reproachfully.

"Never underestimate the Crows, Kitty," she replied, and stepped closer. "Thanks Knight Captain," she smiled, going up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Let me know if there's ever something I can do for __you."__

"Uh… that isn't necessary, miss…" Cullen stammered in embarrassment.

"Go on, Issy," Cat said with a chuckle. "Leave poor Cullen alone."

Isabela turned and headed out of the gate, waving over her shoulder as she did.

Cat turned back to Cullen, chuckling again at seeing the gobsmacked look on his face. "She's something, isn't she?" she asked him.

"A little too… much… for me. I think," he replied haltingly.

"I don't know about that," she said with a smile. "But I will warn you that she's more into the temporary. Being in love scares her, as she feels she loses her control over her life."

He looked down at her, smiling. "And what about you?" he asked quietly, as he led her over to bench.

"What about me what?" she asked, smiling back. "Where are we going?"

"I've got drills starting in about an hour," he said. "I thought you would enjoy sitting here and observing."

"Can I sit on the stairs?" she asked, pointing to them. He contemplated, and shrugged, changing directions.

"So, are you going to continue to ignore my question?" he teased.

"No," she answered, sitting on the fourth stair up, and tugging on his arm to get him to sit as well.

"Love doesn't scare me as it does Issy," she said, looking out at the courtyard. "But I wouldn't say I'm exactly comfortable with it either."

"Oh?" he asked. "Why not?"

"It's new, I guess. I thought I loved someone before, and of course, I love my friends and all, but this… is different. It doesn't take my control like Issy fears, but everything in my life is now impacted. I think about Hawke all the time, think of him when making decisions, taking his feelings into account, that sort of thing. It can be scary, especially when I'm not sure how he feels about me, or where this will lead."

She looked back to him with a smile. "And of course, it's odd feeling this happy all the time, knowing I'm probably making my friends roll their eyes at us."

Cullen rolled his as if on cue, and they laughed. Once they were quiet, he said, "I think it is nice, though I can see it isn't nearly as scary for you as you say, since you admit it easily." He met her eyes again. "Or you are much braver than you think."

"Brave?" she asked, with a snort. "No, I'm scared, I promise. I just… figured it out myself not long ago, and blurted it out in front of everyone."

"Really?" he asked, eyes wide. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she replied, as she put her head in her hands, her elbows on her knees. "Nobody has said anything, and I haven't brought it up either… because I'm scared to know."

He put his hand on her back near her shoulder, in a sign of support. "You're one of the bravest people I know," he told her with a smile. "I'm sure you'll hear what you want to hear soon enough. Anyone who doesn't love you is a fool, and though I'm not a fan of the Champion, I know he is not a fool."

She smiled brightly at him, and he felt as if he had done something heroic. "Thank you Cullen," she said, and he gave her a nod.

"Now, I believe you said something about sparring the last time we spoke?" he said, needing to change the subject before he let his own feelings make a fool of himself. Her look changed to one of utter delight and she stood quickly, tugging on his arm.

"Yes! Can we? How about now?!" she said excitedly, and he grinned.

* * *

Cat sat on the bench in the deep shade of the outcropped roof of the courtyard, watching Cullen stalking up and down the rows of recruits as they drilled. He would shout out things that needed to change, whether someone's form, or their attire, or the placing of their feet.

She rolled her shoulder again, knowing she had not done well in her spar with Cullen, but glad that he hadn't gone easy on her. He was determined to make her a better warrior, and she appreciated it.

She couldn't blame Zev and Duran for going easy on her at first, she had had absolutely zero experience in fighting. But Cullen knew her as a fighter, and she could only be grateful for all those that had helped her reach this point.

 _ _Hawke is going to wonder about these bruises,__ she thought, before snorting to herself. __Yeah, maybe if he tried to take my shirt off, but as things are now, he won't even know.__ She was surprised at herself, not taking his lack of interest personally as she might have before, but she knew that wasn't the problem.

She frowned as she thought of him, worry marring her features. The man was keeping all of this too close, and it was eating away at him. Several times he had fallen asleep while at his desk, and once at dinner. He was mentally and physically exhausting himself for her benefit, and she couldn't seem to want to add another demand of his time.

Looking over as someone sat next to her, she saw a templar she didn't recognize, and immediately scooted away from her.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," she said cheerfully. "I've heard so much about the Knight Captain's friend, I wanted to meet you personally."

"Um, well met," Cat stated, turning to glance at her. "I'm Cat."

"Recruit Farrah," she responded with a nod. "I hope this isn't too… uh, presumptuous, but are you and the Captain…"

Cat shook her head, and rolled her eyes. __Why did everyone assume that?__ "No, we're just friends."

"I guess I don't really understand how that's possible," she said with a crooked grin. "He's just really handsome, you know."

"Yes, he is," Cat replied, feeling uncomfortable.

"If you're not interested, maybe you could stop leading him on then?" she asked, and Cat turned to gape at her.

"I'm not doing anything of the kind," she said firmly.

"You might not think so," she said, and Cat could see the delight in her eyes. "But I think we both know he's more than a little hung up on you." She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "Isn't he? And you use that, don't you… __Cat."__

Cat could hear the pithy way she said her name, and it made her angry. She knew she wasn't doing what the recruit was saying, but she didn't want to explain it to her. __It wasn't any of her business. No doubt she was just upset that Cullen hadn't noticed her at all.__

Seeing that she wasn't leaving, in fact she seemed to be settling into the bench, Cat stood up, suddenly restless. She didn't give the recruit another glance, wanting to forget about her completely, and decided she would go over to the shops, and look around while she waited for Cullen to finish.

* * *

Cullen glanced up, seeing Cat speaking to a woman he didn't recognize. She was wearing the uniform, but he could have sworn she wasn't one of his templars. He let it go with a shrug, assuming she was part of the transfers they had received from Ostwick last week.

Turning to walk down the next aisle of recruits, he barked out a change in drill, focusing back on his charges. It didn't take long until his eyes were up again, searching for Cat. To say he was worried would be an understatement.

She had confided in him about the Crows that were after her in order to kill her friend, and as she told him about the elf, he had recalled him. He hadn't told her that, as he had been embarrassed. He only remembered him because he thought they were a couple, and had dwelt on it for some time afterward.

He didn't know much of the Crows, but he knew their reputation, and if it was even close to being true, then Cat was __definitely__ in danger, even here. His eyes locked onto her, going wide as he saw her moving. __Why was she moving?! They agreed she would wait for him at the bench!__

He could see that she wasn't leaving, she had left her things near the bench. But moving around their group… his mind clicked onto her reasoning. __She's going for the shops,__ he thought in relief.

Hearing the quiet around him, he realized the drill had finished, and the recruits were waiting for the next order. Flustered, he gave one, then looked over to watch Cat's progress. His stomach lurched as he couldn't find her.

Scanning left and right, and already pushing through the lines of recruits, he made a beeline for the gate that she had just passed.

"Move! MOVE!" he shouted, the recruits jumping out if his way in panic. He looked to his right again, then headed straight out the gate, his entire class of recruits behind him, wondering where this drill had come from.

Stopping momentarily at the gate and looking round, he saw the men carting her away over his shoulder.

"CAT!" he yelled, taking off in a sprint.

"For the Captain!" he heard behind him, and glancing back, was shocked to see the group of recruits running behind him toward his quarry. Taking it in stride, he pulled out his sword, brandishing it high.

"Save the girl!" he called, and was answered with a roar. He gave a wicked looking grin as the three men they were chasing paled. "You won't get away," he said under his breath.


	80. Chapter 80- Assassins Part Deux

**A/N: Well everyone, here we go! Assassins, assassins everywhere! We're moving back into some questing, and hopefully you guys are ready for it, because I know I am!**

 **I very much appreciate your comments, and hope you know that they really make my day!**

 **Sorry for making you guys wait for this, I had it all ready to go yesterday, and as I read through it one last time, I realized it was going a totally wrong direction. So, I had to rework it. I like it much better now, and that's what counts I guess.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Cat huffed out a breath and would have shaken her head at the display as Cullen and his recruits ran out of the gate. However the man holding his hand over her mouth made movement impossible. She was tucked into a small shadowed corner near the merchant's stall, with two men- one holding her, and the other blocking her from view.

They chuckled to each other as the courtyard emptied of templars, and the man behind her said quietly, "Not a sound, or I cut out your tongue," before releasing her face.

"You laugh, but there's no way you'll get me out of here now," she whispered harshly.

The man in front of her looked back arrogantly. "Oh no?" he asked quietly. "And you are not as smart as you think. We obviously did not come in by way of the gate."

"That templar recruit that spoke to me," she said, keeping her voice low, "one of yours?"

He smirked at her again with a small shake of his head. "Women are so willing to do anything to get the man they fancy," he replied. "So easily controlled."

She narrowed her eyes in a glare. "I'm not going," she hissed. "You'll have to kill me."

He stepped closer, crowding her with his body, his smirk turning ugly. "Do not think I won't," he replied. "You are bait, nothing more. And while bait is better wriggling on the hook, it can still be useful if not."

He peered into her eyes until she was unnerved enough to look away. He was attractive enough, with light hair and eyes the color of aged whiskey. In fact, they were the same color as Hawke's. But what frightened her was the coldness in them, the look that told her he would enjoy hurting her, for no reason at all, and she knew she needed to get away.

She suddenly went limp. The man behind her, surprised by the dead weight hitting him, barely caught her before she crashed to the ground.

"You always scare the more delicate ones," the man who caught her said.

"She isn't delicate," the other man said, dashing Cat's hopes for an easy escape. "she traveled with Arainai, you fool."

Cat moved quickly, bringing her leg inside of the one holding her, tripping him. He fell backward, and she rolled with him, grabbing for her dagger that he had put in his own belt. She moved into a crouch, facing the cold-eyed man, as they scowled at each other.

"You idiot," he muttered to the man currently on his back with the girl's knife to his throat. He looked at the girl with a sneer. "What's your plan now?" he asked condescendingly.

Cat sneered back at him. "I don't want to kill you, but I will," she said in a mocking tone. "Back up," she ordered.

He smiled, as if he was enjoying her, and took a step forward. "I said back!" she hissed, unnerved.

His smile grew, as he could see how he affected her. "You'll be punished for this," he said calmly. "Surrender now, and perhaps I'll only take a finger."

Cat knew she wouldn't be able to get out without killing them, and she couldn't afford to fight two on one. She thrust her dagger into the second man's chest, giving him a quick death. Pulling it back out, she readied herself for a fight for her life.

The cold-eyed man didn't even glance down at his partner. He merely reached behind him, unsheathing his short sword, without looking away from her. Cat glanced around her, seeing no one to help, and no escape.

"You think that would upset me?" he asked, his voice silky. "I would have killed him myself for being taken down." He looked from his sword to her small blade and looked amused. "You have five seconds to surrender," he warned.

She thought about it, for just a moment, thinking that it may be better to wait for another time to escape, but the look in his eyes changed her mind. She wouldn't put herself at his mercy, for she could easily see that he had none.

"I would have been disappointed if you had," he said with a smirk, and stepped closer, bringing his sword back to strike. Cat did the only thing she could, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

She had surprised him, but only momentarily, and he struck out. She stopped her scream to dodge, though in the small corner, there was nowhere to go to avoid the blow. She screamed again, in pain this time, as the sword point missed her stomach, but caught her in the side, and she felt the warmth of her blood even as she went to her knees.

Gripping her wounded side, she forced herself to stay alert, dodging the next blow aimed for her neck, by throwing herself toward the man. She could hear him laugh, and then suddenly he was gone, as she heard shouts and footsteps running toward her, and everything went black.

* * *

Cullen thrust his sword into the back of the man carrying Cat, trying at the same time to catch her before she fell, though he didn't make it. Leaving his sword where it was, he left the other two men to the recruits, moving to help Cat.

He felt uneasy the entire time they chased after these four, something was definitely wrong here, but he had little choice but to pursue. He made it to her, noting in fear that her hair was darker and shorter than his friend's. The change of clothes was one thing, but this was proof that he should have listened to his gut. It wasn't Cat at all.

He turned the woman over, surprised that he recognized her, yet he probably shouldn't have been. Of course these decoys were from the gallows, they would have noticed strangers around. He glared at the mage, as she lay there weeping, and he stood up without a word.

Cullen moved back to collect his sword. He gave orders to bring the mage, as well as the bodies back to the courtyard, and took several recruits with him as he hurried back. He knew he didn't have much time to find her trail.

He saw the small crowd of people, as well as a group of mages that kept their distance. He strode forward, determined to deal with the issue quickly, and move on to find Cat.

Coming up to the group, he asked what was happening, and one of the stationed templars turned and saluted him.

"Knight Captain, sir, we caught this mage using magic here in the courtyard," he spoke, gesturing toward a man on the ground. His eyes widened even as the templar continued. "We believe he cast a blood thrall on the girl."

Cullen moved forward, ignoring the small blade that Cat was pointing toward them, as he knelt down on the other side of the mage.

"Cat?" he asked softly, and her eyes flicked to him, then back to watch the other templars.

"Cullen," she said, sounding relieved. She raised her voice, "I'm not a thrall," she said firmly, but Cullen could hear the weariness in her voice. "He and his friends saved my life."

"His friends?" the other templar snapped, looking around the courtyard, glaring at several groups of mages that were looking their way.

Cat continued speaking to Cullen, ignoring the others. "He used his magic to heal a wound I had," she said gesturing to her side, where her shirt was covered with blood. "I'm fine now, but __they__ ," her voice turned harsh, "just did a smite without bothering to find out what was going on."

She glanced back down to the mage, looking worried. "He hasn't woken up," she said quietly.

Cullen made a quick decision, calling for the mages nearby. "Come, get this man and take him to the senior enchanter," he said, his voice ringing with authority.

"Knight Captain…" the templar said, but stopped at the look Cullen pinned him with. He gave a disgusted look, and turned on his heels, heading back to the templar barracks, the others following behind him.

"Thank you," Cat breathed, finally able to lower her dagger. She smiled at the mages that inched forward. "Maybe, step back a little, Cullen?" she said quietly. He did so, though reluctantly, and the mages came closer to gather their colleague. "Please, will you let him know how grateful I am?" she asked them. "What's his name? I will inquire after him the next time I come, and tell him myself."

The mages glanced at each other, uncertain of what to do, but they must have been able to see Cat's sincerity, and looking at the Knight Captain, and receiving a small nod, one said, "Adrius," quietly before they left, carrying Adrius with them.

Cullen gave her a moment, then grabbed Cat's shoulders. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly. She nodded wearily, but firmly.

"The healing packed a punch," she said, rubbing her side. "He was trying to get it done quickly, to avoid being seen." Cullen glanced over to where the mages had gone, and Cat looked up in concern. "He'll be all right, won't he?" she asked in concern.

"I believe so," Cullen replied, though she didn't trust his words. He was looking at them as if the mage was already doomed.

"Come on," he said, helping her up. "I need to see you back to your friends."

Cat nodded, but looking down, winced. "I can't go back like this," she said, holding out her shirt. "They see the blood, and they will all throw a fit, and overreact."

He looked at her skeptically. "Is it really overreacting?" he asked. "You were lucky not to have been taken, let alone killed, from right under my nose."

"I handled it," she retorted.

"Yes, I can see that," he said, pulling out the blood stained portion of her shirt.

"Not the point," she said. "The point is-"

Cullen didn't hear what the point was, as Meredith called him, interrupting Cat's words.

"Yes, Knight Commander?" he replied, putting his fist to his chest, as she strode forward.

"I was told there was a breach of magic," she said with an almost gleeful expression, looking around.

"An escape attempt," he corrected, walking away from Cat toward the woman that his recruits still held onto. "There were four of them, though this one is the only survivor."

Meredith glared down at the mage, who had started crying again. "Explain," she ordered Cullen.

As Cullen gave a concise report, that one man had detained Cat, and the others had ran with the woman, making it look like a kidnapping attempt, Meredith turned to glare at Cat, taking in the blood on her shirt, before turning back.

"And the three men are dead?" she questioned, looking at the recruits' faces, feeling that her Knight Captain was holding something back.

"Yes Commander," he replied, pointing to the three bodies that were laid nearby.

"Very well," she said, looking back down to the woman. "We'll perform the ceremony immediately."

"NO!" the woman screamed suddenly. "I would rather die! Just kill me!"

"Silence!" Meredith roared. "Take her away!"

"Cullen?" Cat said quietly, but he merely glanced at her, and turned back to the commander.

"Captain, you should join us," Meredith asked, with a small smile, glancing at Cat.

"I gave my word to see Cat back home. I will be available to you once I return, Commander," he said, his voice flat and neutral.

"Very well," Meredith said, her smile growing slightly, and Cat began wondering what she was thinking. "Tell the Champion…" she began, looking back to Cat. "In her __condition__ , it may be wise to keep her close."

Cullen stiffened, looking back to Cat's bloody tunic, and nodding to Meredith. "I will, Commander."

Cat watched as Meredith left, giving commands and basically scaring all those she passed by. Cat shook her head, wondering why all the mages and templars, or Cullen for that matter, followed her.

"Come," Cullen said, walking up to her. "I'll see you home."

Cat didn't move, still watching Meredith. "What ceremony?" she asked, though she was certain she knew, she wanted Cullen to confirm it.

"What?" he asked.

"What ceremony, Cullen?" she asked, turning to him now.

His face could have been stone for how flat of a look he gave her. "She will be made tranquil," he finally replied.

"For what?!" Cat exploded.

"Trying to escape," he replied calmly. "That is basically claiming that she is a malificar, and so she will be dealt with accordingly."

"Not that I condone it, but why not kill her as she asked?" Cat inquired.

"Meredith wastes nothing," he replied, grabbing her arm, and pulling her forward.

"Cullen, this isn't right," Cat said quietly, and he stiffened.

"You should not judge what you do not understand," he snapped.

"I understand completely!" she replied heatedly. "Wanting to free is not a crime!"

"I will not see a malificar free!" he retorted testily.

"Wanting freedom doesn't make someone evil!" she argued again.

He turned now, to glare at her. "Oh, but helping assassins to kidnap a civilian?" he asked her. "I would see her tranquil for that alone," he murmured.

"Cullen…" she gaped at him, and he turned away from the shock and disappointment in her eyes.

He didn't speak again, just led her away toward the ferry.

"What will happen to Adruis?" she asked suddenly, and Cullen rubbed his forehead. She grabbed his arm, turning him to face her. "Tell me Cullen," she demanded. "If you would see one tranquil for offense to me, would you save the other for helping me?"

He looked away. "I… I would." He shook his head at her relieved expression. "But it may not be up to me." He looked back at the Gallows. "If Meredith learns of it, I will not be able to help him."

"Surely using magic to save a life is not a crime," she said quietly, upset.

"Using magic without authorization is a crime," he replied. "But, I will do what I can."

Cat nodded, though she felt numb. __Coming here was a terrible idea,__ she thought. __None of this would have happened if I had just stayed home.__

She didn't speak any more, just moved along with Cullen toward the ferry.

* * *

Cullen held out his hand, helping Cat from the small boat onto the dock. She had been silent on the trip, and he wished he had a way of erasing the afternoon from their memories. He had felt something shift between them, a wall of some sort coming between them, and he didn't like the feeling.

He wished he had been able to shelter her from the ugliness of his world of magic and templars. She was so bright and optimistic about how things could be, and while a part of him had wanted that as well, the other part of him knew things would never change, as long as malificar and mages too weak to defend against demons existed.

He was startled from his thoughts as Cat suddenly spun around and moved toward an alley. He followed after her, his hand on his weapon, and saw as she grabbed a man that stood just inside the alley in the shadows.

As he came closer, he saw that it wasn't a man, but an elf, and one he recognized.

"What are you doing Fen, I could have killed you!" Cat exclaimed.

He gave her a skeptical look, and she bristled. "I'm not in the mood, Fenris," she growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, obviously," he replied. "Why is your shirt covered in blood?" he asked.

"It's my new fashion statement," she snapped. "Why are you waiting for me? Cullen told Isabela he would see me home."

"Yes, I know," he replied, and both Cat and Cullen bristled this time.

"You do not trust me to bring her back safely?" Cullen asked, and Cat gave his arm a slap.

"I. Can. Take. Care. Of. Myself!" she said between her gritted teeth, and snarled as both of them looked at her as if they didn't believe her.

She stepped forward, right into Fenris' face. "Tell me the truth," she said easily, forcing herself to stay calm.

Fenris looked back at her, but didn't speak.

Cat tried again, keeping the emotion from her voice. "Tell me the truth and I'll believe you," she said to him. "Why are you here?"

Fenris looked from her, to Cullen, and back. He didn't want to say it, but he wouldn't lie to her.

"He's having you follow me, isn't he?" she asked quietly, and though Fenris didn't move, she could see the answer in his eyes. "Were you at the Gallows?" she asked.

This, he could answer. "No," he said. "I had thought you would be safe there," he paused. "Though it seems I was wrong."

"I suppose that's something." Cat turned to Cullen. "Thank you Cullen, but it looks like you don't need to take me all the way after all."

"Oh, I don't mind Cat," he replied.

"Will you please let me know of Adruis?" she asked, ignoring his comment. He sighed and nodded. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his torso, and just holding on for a moment. She felt his hand on her head, and heard him sigh again. Stepping back, she gave him a smile. "I did enjoy today, before all the excitement," she said.

"I have to say the same," he replied. "I will come visit you next time, however. I do not want a repeat of today."

"Agreed," she said, a sad smile now gracing her face. "Till then."

"Farewell," he replied, and turned to go back to the boat.

Fenris watched him go, knowing he would need to get some answers from Cat about what actually happened at the Gallows. He glanced back to her, surprised to see her face angry and determined.

"Cat…?" he asked reluctantly.

"Let's go," she said, as she strode off. "It seems Hawke and I have to talk."

* * *

"I'm sorry Hawke," Varric said, feeling like a failure. "I've got a few more favors I can call in, but so far no one knows anything."

"Just keep trying Varric, we're all coming up empty, it isn't your fault," Hawke replied, his hand brushing through his hair in frustration.

"At least Cat is safe," Aveline spoke up. "We've kept them at bay for several weeks now, that's saying something."

"Yeah, but Kitty's at the end of her rope," Isabela added. "This time with Cullen will help, but even though she's trying to stay where we want her, she's feeling like a prisoner."

"Oh, that's awful," Merrill said morosely. "Poor Cat."

"Of course I want her happy, but I'd rather her upset and here, then happy and gone," Hawke muttered.

"Perhaps she'd be happier if she could spend some time with you, Hawke," Merrill said innocently. Hawke glared over at her, but her wide eyes had his anger dissipating. Isabela smirked, glad she had asked the cute elf to say it, instead of trying herself.

"Uh, well, we spend the evenings together, Merrill," he replied.

"Oh, yeah, but that's not the same, is it?" she continued. "I mean, there's more to a relationship than in bed, right?" she asked with a beaming smile.

Hawke gaped at her, hearing the snickers and chuckles from the others. "It's not like that…" he muttered.

"Oh?" Isabela asked, wanting to push him a little, __for Kitty of course,__ she told herself. "What's it like then?"

Hawke turned, giving her an exasperated look. "I just, can't sleep without her being there," he said.

"Oh, poor Little Dove indeed," Varric murmured, and Isabela gave a noise of agreement.

"Hey, why would you say that?" Hawke growled.

"Do you really want to know?" Aveline asked him. He frowned at each of them, glancing from one to the other.

"What are you guys talking about?" he asked.

"Oh, he doesn't know, how sad," Isabela said, and Hawke gave her a disparaging look.

"Don't start with me Isabela," Hawke growled with a glare. "I still haven't forgiven you for taking her to the templars."

"Do I need to explain again?" Isabela asked, her left eyebrow high. "She was practically begging. I doubt you would have denied her, had you been there."

Hawke started to argue, but acknowledged her point. "Probably not, but I would have at least gone with her."

"Cullen assured me he would look after her personally," Isabela replied with a smirk. "Or is that what you're afraid of?"

Hawke grit his teeth, yet again wondering why he let Isabela push his buttons. His pause was long enough that Varric cleared his throat loudly.

"Let's just get this meet over with," Varric said, motioning for the others to follow him out of the house.

"Who are we meeting?" Merrill asked him as she looked up to admire the stars in the sky.

"I don't know the man's name, the meet was set up by one of my contacts," Varric replied. "But I was told it would be worth our while."

"Nicely nonspecific," Hawke muttered. He strode forward, asking Varric where the meet was to take place, and made for the shopping district in Hightown. It was a good place for a meet, deserted in the evenings, but still in a relatively good part of town. "At least we're not having a meet in Darktown again," Hawke said with a smirk.

"Never going to let me forget that, are you Hawke?" Varric grumbled.

"If he does, I'll help remind him," Aveline said from behind them.

"Come to think of it," Isabela added, "we do have back luck when it comes to meets that these contacts of yours set up."

"Hey, that's insulting," Varric complained. "At least I have contacts."

"If they try to get you killed, they aren't really _your_ contacts, now are they?" Isabela responded.

"Here we are," Hawke said as they walked down the flight of stone steps. "And… there's no one."

"Of course," Aveline sighed.

"All I was told was something about Hawke and nobles," Varric said. "I don't get it… Edge is usually very reliable."

"That's what you get for listening to someone named Edge," Isabela muttered.

"Reliable at leading us into an ambush, you mean," Aveline said to the dwarf.

"Why?" Varric argued. "It's not __always__ an ambush."

"Hawke!"

They all turned to the sound, seeing Fenris and Cat coming down the stairs toward them. Fenris had called out, as if in warning, and Hawke appeared confused at the angry look on Cat's face. He had barely begun moving towards them when men started popping up all around them, jumping down from ledges, and even branches of a tree. They had the group neatly surrounded in moments, pointing weapons at the Champion and his crew.

As one, they looked down to Varric.

"All right, so maybe sometimes… its an ambush," he said reluctantly.

"And there is the Champion of Kirkwall," the man in front of them said, as he stepped closer. "And where is your lady friend?" He glanced over and beamed a cold smile as his second in command brought her forward, his daggers at the ready, one at her throat, and another at her back. They had learned to keep their distance.

"There you are, you little minx," he said, and she glared at him. "Don't fret… in just a short time, we'll be alone again."

"Don't count on it."

"My dear Champion, I'm afraid you've interfered in the Crow's business. And now, today, you die," the cold eyed man said, turning back to Hawke in his explanation.

He cried out as a blade hit his right shoulder, its triple pronged blade that made it look more like a sai, driving deep. The group as one turned to see where it had come from, high above on the roof behind them.

Cat watched, impressed as the small red headed elf made her way down to the ground, killing five men in the process. She ran past Hawke and grabbed onto her dagger, still in the leader's shoulder and gave him a wink.

"Kill her! Kill them all!" he screamed, and with her other hand, she slit his throat open, and he fell gurgling to the ground.

"Well?" she asked Hawke sassily as she turned. "What are you waiting for?"

Cat grabbed the arm that held the knife at her throat and threw herself sideways to avoid a stab in the back. The man was distracted by the death of his fellow men, and missed her altogether.

She saw him fall back with a crossbow bolt in his neck, and she gave Varric a little salute from her position on the ground. Sitting up and glancing around, she noted Fenris standing behind her, guarding her from further injury, while Varric kept an eye out for anyone in front of her that would cause her harm.

Between Hawke, Aveline, Isabela and Merrill, plus the elf- __a million dollars says its Tallis,__ she told herself- the Crows, though formidable, were taken care of. Cat was grateful that the cold eyed man was finally gone, though she hadn't been able to do it herself.

"Are you all right?" Fenris asked quietly, as he picked Cat up, and helped her stand.

"Fine," she replied, as the rest of the crew closed ranks, eyeing the elf in question.

"Sloppy," she said, as she sheathed her daggers. "You'd think the Crows would be better at this. They've been doing it for ages."

"Not one more step before you tell me who you are," Hawke said, holding up a hand.

"Ah, the suspicious sort, I see," the elf answered.

"Not without reason," Isabela said, though her ever present smirk was barely there. "Rogue women with knives are untrustworthy."

"We get ambushed a lot," Varric explained with a shrug.

"Your timing was awfully convenient," Hawke said, still not willing to relax.

"Oh," she replied, understanding. "I didn't arrange this, though it is no coincidence I'm here." She gave a small curtsy type bow, and said, "My name is Tallis. And I've been looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Hawke asked, wanting to roll his eyes, but didn't. Everyone seemed to be looking for him these days.

"Looking for the man with an invitation to Chateau Haine, to be precise."

"What?" Hawke asked, confused.

"Oh, so that's what Edge was on about," Varric said, and Hawke looked over at him. "You remember? Duke Prosper, the man that fawned all over the Little Dove at the banquet? The one that kept talking about a hunt?" Varric wiggled his eyebrows, and Hawke understood.

Grateful that Varric didn't give away any of his plans for the hunt as a name day present for Cat, Hawke merely looked over to the elf.

"I doubt I'd go to such a thing," Hawke said, keeping his chuckle held in so as to keep Cat in the dark, and perhaps succeed in making it a surprise.

"I'm hoping I can convince you to reconsider," she said, as she began pacing in front of him. "The duke is a delightful host… or so I hear."

"Let me guess…" Hawke said sarcastically. "This isn't merely a social call."

"I need to relieve him of something that he has no right to possess. And I can't do it alone," Tallis explained.

"You want to rob him," Hawke deadpanned.

"Well, stealing from Orlesians is never wrong," Varric cut in, though no one laughed.

"There's always a catch," Isabela said. "Whenever someone helps us, there's always a catch."

"This wasn't how I was planning to ask you this. I'd planned on asking somewhere with less… blood," Tallis said.

"What makes you think I will steal something just because you ask?" Hawke asked in disbelief.

"Well I would," Isabela spoke up.

Varric scratched the back of his head, and Hawke glanced down in question. "I may… have talked you up a bit," he said hesitantly. "Maybe more than once."

"Wonderful," Hawke sighed, shaking his head.

"What?" Varric asked, his arms out. "You'd rather I tell everyone you were a mage?"

"All I've heard is that you get things done," Tallis said. "I'm hoping that's true, though I don't have many options."

"We've barely met, and I'm supposed to help you?" he asked, still not trusting her.

"Isn't that what you do?" she countered, and Varric chuckled.

"She's got you there, Hawke."


	81. Chapter 81- Misunderstandings

Hawke didn't trust Tallis, he would admit that freely and directly to her face. However, after finding a ciphered note on one of the bodies made the feeling even worse. Looking around at the people he cared most for, he was given the impression that most felt similarly, but the idea of going out on the hunt for something was enticing. Besides, he had been planning on going to the hunt anyway, for Cat.

He walked over to where Cat stood, watched closely by Fenris. The others followed him, and turning, he noted that Tallis was giving them room to speak, which he could appreciate. __Perhaps she does want our help after all,__ he thought.

"Thoughts?" he asked quietly.

"She's obviously hiding something," Isabela offered. "But she sincerely wants something from the duke."

"There's definitely more to this," Aveline said. "I don't like her asking us to steal for her."

"Neither do I," Hawke agreed.

"But…" Aveline continued, glancing at Cat. "It may be a good thing, getting out of the city for a little while."

Hawke followed her eyes to Cat, and also followed her logic. It all made sense, and he didn't have to agree to steal anything just yet.

"Cat?" he asked, and she looked up at him. "What do you think?" He looked confused as she merely shrugged at him. "What do you want to do?" he tried again.

"I want to go home," she said shortly, and he just stood there and blinked, looking at her apprehensively. She turned away, looking at Fenris in question, and Hawk wondered what could have happened while she was gone that day.

Hawke made a quick decision, and looked down at Varric. "Find out how to contact Tallis. We need time to decide. Get her a room if she needs one. I'll need time to prepare anyway if we decide to go. At least a week."

The dwarf nodded, and walked over to the redhead. Hawke gave Aveline and Merrill a look, and they turned to wait for Varric. He and Isabela stepped up again to Cat and Fenris.

"All right, let's get you home," he said moving to put his arm around her. He was shocked when she moved quickly to avoid him, and went to Isabela instead. "Uh…" he started, looking at Fenris and then Isabela in confusion. Isabela shrugged as she put her arm around Cat and they started off.

"She discovered me this evening," Fenris stated as they stepped forward to keep pace with the women. "As she and the templar got off the ferry."

"Oh," Hawke replied, in understanding. He didn't have to ask if he had told her or not. Just seeing Fenris there would tell her everything, and it was apparent she wasn't taking it well.

He wanted to simply grab her and explain, but he held back. They followed after the pair, and he noted that they were leading he and Fenris to the mansion where she and the elf lived, not to his home, where she had been staying. He didn't know why that upset him so much, but he couldn't deny that it did.

He gave himself time to think about what he would say to Cat, once they got to the house. He knew she would be upset if she found out he was having Fenris follow her, but he had needed her to be unaware, so she wouldn't give him away. True, if their positions were reversed, he'd be spitting angry, but he tried not to think of that.

Hawke noticed then that Fenris was still on high alert, and he kicked himself for letting himself brood. He paid more attention as they walked through Hightown, and eventually made it to the mansion. Cat and Isabela walked straight in, and towards the kitchen, while he and Fenris moved around the rest of the house to ensure they didn't have visitors.

Hawke moved slowly through the main room, lighting a couple lamps with his fingertip as he passed them. If Cat was staying here, then so was he, whether with her or not, because he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep at home.

He looked up as Fenris came near and gestured toward the fireplace. He held out his hand with a smirk as it blazed with a flame, and crouched down to give the flame to the logs. Standing back up, he turned back, to see Cat looking at him, a small smile on her face. Once she saw him looking however, she frowned again.

He looked more closely at her, wondering if he could head this off before she got worked up. And then his eyes fell to her tunic, where there was a large blood stain.

"What the hell is that?!" he demanded, moving over and reaching for her, but she slapped his hands away.

"That's nothing. What I want to know is why Fenris is following me?"

"How did you get this?!" he continued, ignoring her question. He glared at Fenris, accusing. "What happened?!"

"Hey!" she said, her voice raising. "Don't ignore me!"

He moved his gaze to her, and she had to keep herself from stepping back at the intensity of his eyes. They weren't cold as the assassin's had been, but burning as the fire into her own.

"Fenris is following you to keep you safe," he replied evenly, though still angry. "Now, What. Happened."

"So having someone with me at all times isn't enough?!" she growled, having enough of it all. Before seeing Fenris that evening, she had almost resigned herself to telling Hawke that he was right, and agreeing without complaint to his safety measures, but now?

"Obviously it isn't enough," he spat, "since you're coming home injured after being with your precious templar."

"My-" she practically choked on the words. __The absolute idiot!__ she seethed, coming nose to nose with him, and jabbing his chest with her finger, causing Isabela to smile and cheer her on, albeit silently.

"At least my __precious templar__ doesn't treat me like a child!" she ground out. "He trusts me to be able to take care of myself!" She pulled the tunic up, showing him that she had no injury there, though it did little to placate him.

"A lot of good that did!" Hawke grumbled, dismissing her bloody tunic, and grabbing her shoulder, causing her to wince.

He moved quick as a snake, before she could stop him, and had pulled her tunic askew, ripping it slightly and looking at her shoulder where his hand had been. He took in the large bruise silently, though Cat could swear she could hear his teeth grinding.

"Stop it," she said, batting at his hands, and trying to back up.

"What happened." He spoke quietly, not hearing or seeing anything going on around him. Fenris and Isabela both moved closer.

"Nothing," Cat spat. "I had a few spars, that's all."

"With what, a wall?" he asked, though not amused.

"With Cullen. He's helping me, instead of trying to hide me away."

Hawke had almost calmed himself. Almost. But the name of the Knight Captain grated on him like nothing else could. Apparently Cat was the only one blind to his feelings, but Hawke could see them as clearly as the dawn, and he despised the jealousy it triggered.

"Obviously he doesn't care that you get injured," Hawke said quietly, and Cat rolled her eyes. "You won't go there again."

Cat stopped, her spine stiffening. "Who the hell do you think you are?! You do not decide who I see, or where I go. I've allowed it this long to make things easier for you, but no more."

"Easier for me?!" Hawke asked incredulously. "Don't do me any favors," he snarled, completely insulted.

Cat stared at him for a moment, then nodded. She was vibrating in fury, and didn't trust herself to speak. She would have turned and stormed away, but found herself flanked by Isabela and Fenris.

"Why don't we all just calm down," Isabela said easily, "and we'll talk this out."

"Issy-" Cat started, and her friend shook her head.

"Being on the outside of this, Fenris and I can see both sides of the argument, and you're both right."

"No, he's unreasonable!" Cat argued, even as Isabela steered her towards a chair that Fenris pulled near the fire. "He's -"

"Upset," Fenris interrupted. "It happens when someone you care about is being stalked by a deadly group of assassins, and you can't seem to keep them from harm." He pulled another chair up, and looked at Hawke, almost as if challenging him.

Hawke saw the look, and decided not to be petty, though part of him wanted to refuse. He sat, his eyes hooded as he glared at the rest of them. He felt as though it were now three against one, and he was the one, though he told himself it wasn't true.

"Of course I'm upset," he began, and Isabela hushed him as well.

"Look, we all wondered what plans Hawke had going, since Fenris wasn't part of babysitting Kitty," she said, even as Cat winced. __Did she have to put it like that?!__

"You said he was following you," Isabela continued. "So I can only assume he was trying to get a bead on the assassins without them knowing they were being watched. In order to attack like they do, they must have someone watching you, so putting one of ours on lookout to find them was a good plan."

"Fine! Yes!" Cat pouted. "But why wasn't I told?!" She glared at Hawke. "Why keep secrets?" she asked, even as her stomach knotted up at her own hypocrisy.

"To keep me hidden," Fenris stated before Hawke could answer. "Even if you knew and were trying not to let it be known, there are things you would have done. Looking back, wondering if I were there… you could have given me away if you had known."

"I…" Cat started, but being honest with herself, she admitted that he was right. She sagged, knowing that, the energy she had for a fight now gone, and she was once again exhausted. "I guess so," she mumbled.

"Now. You know how much we all care about you Kitty," Isabela said as she moved over to lean by the fire. "And we don't like seeing you hurt." She smiled a little at her friend's small nod. "Will you tell us what happened?"

And so she did. She left nothing out, knowing that Hawke would probably get angry with her again, but she was so tired and wanted to get it over with.

Hawke's feelings were more of a pendulum as Cat recounted her day. He was happy that she had a good time, happy that she saw the Knight Captain as a friend, though the jealousy in the way she easily defended the templar for bruising her, make a lump in his throat and threatened to choke him.

He was pissed that the Crows had gotten to her, especially with the help of a templar, knowing or not. And he was so incredibly proud of the way she had gotten away from them. As she recounted her injury, he felt fear grip him tightly, and wondered for just a moment if it would always be this way with her. He didn't know if he could go through this ride of emotions every single day.

His head snapped up as she started crying, not great big sobs, but quiet tears running down her face as she described the way the templars spoke of making mages tranquil. His hands became fists as she spoke of trying to save the mage that had saved her life, and her doubts that she had succeeded in little more than convincing the Knight Captain to help for her sake alone.

Once finished, the room was silent, and Cat looked up at Hawke. She could see the tension he carried, see the way his hands were clenched into fists. She tried for a moment to imagine how she would feel if the Crows were after him, and he had been gone for the day without her knowing what was happening.

And her heart softened, and her anger was suddenly gone.

She wasn't making this easy. In fact, she was giving him more grief in her desire to have more freedom. She couldn't stay with him all the time, but she could be more careful, more willing to stay with the others.

Cat stood up quietly, and the others looked at her as she went to Hawke. She grabbed his hand to move it out of her way, and sat on his lap, cuddling up to him. She didn't see his look of surprise, nor the small smiles of the other two.

"I'm sorry I worried you," she said to him quietly. "I'll try to do better."

Her words took all the wind from his sails, and he sighed as he pulled her closer, and played with her hair absently. He looked at the fire, wondering how he could have thought of not having this. Surely any ride of emotions was worth having her with him.

"It's all right," he finally said, and she gave a contented sigh. He decided to let it go and changed the subject. "I was going to take you to that duke's place for that hunt, for your name day," he said. "But I'll leave it up to you if we take Tallis along."

"Can everyone come?" she asked, even as she yawned.

He smiled, resting his chin on her head. __I'll have to come up with a new present idea,__ he thought. "Yeah, we'll take them all with us. It will provide a great distraction."

"If we come up with a way for the Crows to think I'm going somewhere else, maybe we can even enjoy it without looking over our shoulders," she said sleepily.

Hawke smirked, looking over at the other two. "We'll get started on that," he said. She didn't speak again, even as the others began brainstorming for ways to accomplish that. Eventually, Hawke knew she had fallen asleep, and he had Fenris come and take her.

"You can sleep here you know," the elf said, even as he took his sleeping friend. "She may not admit it, but she sleeps better when you're with her as well."

Hawke grinned at knowing that, but he shook his head. "I've got some things to take care of," he replied. "I'll be back in the morning."

"Very well," Fenris replied.

"You want company Hawke?" Isabela asked.

He started to shake his head, but thought better of it. "Sure, if you're up for it."

She nodded, and collected a few of her weapons that she had taken off earlier in order to get comfortable.

"Save us some breakfast, eh Fenris?" she said and they walked out the door.

He shook his head in amusement at the two of them, and moved around the room, extinguishing the lamps. The fire was banked enough to die on its own, so he moved to the stairs.

 _ _Well, I can't leave her alone, so I guess she's sleeping with me tonight.__ __Hopefully she doesn't mistake me for Hawke,__ he thought, thinking of how awkward that would be. __Though that would keep him from leaving her at night in the future.__

He smiled at his own thoughts as he made his way to his room.

* * *

"Knight Captain!"

Cullen looked up at the recruit who had called, as he ran up to meet him. He did a salute, but Cullen really wasn't in the mood for it.

"What is it?" he asked as he continued into the Gallows.

"Sir, the Knight Commander told me to direct you to the ceremony as soon as you returned," the recruit said anxiously.

Cullen didn't groan, but he wanted to. Why Meredith insisted that he take part in these tranquil ceremonies, only the Maker knew. He had hoped that he could feign forgetfulness and just go to his room, but it seemed luck was not on his side that night.

"Very well," he replied, changing his course, and making his way to the small room near the dungeons.

He opened the door, hearing the sobbing, and knew that the Knight Commander had waited for him. He wondered idly how long they had all been here in these cramped walls, waiting for him to show.

"Knight Captain," Meredith said with a small nod. "Thank you for being quick."

"Knight Commander," he replied, a nod of his own, and then took his place standing beside her.

"Proceed," she told the templars holding the mage's shackles. One reached forward, grabbing the mage's head to keep her in place. The other moved back to the small, cast iron pot that was full of red hot coals, with a hand held rod sticking out. The templar grabbed the rod, lifting it, and Cullen made no sign of his feelings at seeing the symbol of the brand that glowed red at the end of the rod.

A third templar came forward with a vial of lyrium, and began the rite, and Cullen tried to think of anything else, even as he began to sweat. He truly disliked watching these ceremonies, even though he knew that they could be necessary.

The only good thing, in Cullen's mind, was that the Knight Commander never stayed too long once the ritual was completed, which meant he didn't need to either.

Once the brand was in place, and the mage collapsed, Meredith strode out of the door, and Cullen followed right after her.

"Cullen, I'm hearing distressing things about today's altercation in the courtyard," she said quietly.

"Commander?" he asked.

"It is easy to see how you care for __her__ , but it cannot be to the detriment of your duties," she continued.

"Of course not, Commander," Cullen replied. He hoped all that came of this was a lecture, but he never knew Meredith to simply stop there.

"Then we understand each other. It is unseemly, Captain, and has generated much interest that you spend so much time with another man's harlot." She put up her hand, knowing that he would try to correct her, or worse, defend Catarina. "Regardless of how esteemed the __Champion__ is, if he is going to impregnate the woman, than he should be the one to care for her," she turned back, as Cullen had stopped in shock. "Don't you agree, Captain?" she asked maliciously.

She took in the stunned expression on his face. __You can tell me all you like that you do not care for her, but it is easy to see how you truly feel,__ she thought. She had been all too happy to hear the news of Cat's condition, knowing it would help to sever the woman's hold on her Knight Captain.

"Captain?" she asked again, and saw his eyes move toward her, clear and unhappy.

"Of course, Commander," he replied dully.

"Good," she replied, and strode off, only to turn back after a few steps. "Oh, and Captain? I need the identity of the mage that used magic illegally in the courtyard this afternoon. Carry out your investigation and bring me the culprit. You have two days."

She turned again and strode off, as Cullen's eyes closed and his shoulders hunched.

* * *

"Is it just Hawke and Issy, or are the others coming too?" Cat asked Fenris as she went down the stairs.

"They didn't say anything about others, but you never know," he replied from behind her.

"That's true, somehow we always gather together, even when we don't mean to." She pursed her lips, and tapped a finger on her chin as she thought. "Better safe than sorry," she stated. "We'd better go out an get some more food then."

Cat glanced back, seeing that he wasn't disagreeing with her, and he nodded. "We should stay here in Hightown though."

She nodded in return. "Being that we're early, they should still have a good selection."

Moving over towards the foyer, she moved the wall hanging, opened the small wooden door built into the wall, and pulled out a few coins. When they had found the loose boards, and the small carved out area behind it, she had decided it was the perfect place for their wall safe.

True, there were no locks or such, but no one besides the two of them knew it was there, and they each added to it for household expenses. She had made the loose board into a little door with a couple of small hinges, and Fenris had selected the little tapestry to hang over it. When they had first put it up, they enjoyed the comments from their friends with a smirk at each other.

Now, Cat handed the coins to Fenris, and grabbed a couple of sacks that were left by the door for grocery shopping, and they left the house, intending to shop quickly.

They didn't take long, selecting mostly fruits, though Cat bought some breakfast pastries on impulse. They looked amazing, and it had been awhile since she had splurged, and she had plenty of coin.

Anders had pretty much taken over her business at the Rose, but he always stopped in and gave her half of the profits, even though she tried to refuse. He seemed to take great pleasure in "taking care of her", so she let him do it, and anytime she went to the clinic, she donated some of her coin to him as well.

 _ _It was what friends did__ , she thought, __they take care of each other__. She took Fenris' hand as they made their way back home. He looked over in question and she grinned at him.

"I'm so glad you're my friend," she said, and he looked at her still, but she could see the corners of his mouth moving up.

"As am I," he replied. "What brought this on?" he asked.

"I just realized how much I have," she said as they came back to their own neighborhood. "I think about where I came from, and I just can't help but be happy with what I've got now."

"Oh?" he asked.

"Yeah. Great friends, an amazing house, coin enough for our needs and then some." She paused as he gave a noise of agreement. "I've got home, health, and love. What else could I possibly want?"

"Maybe to have assassins stop hunting you?" he asked drolly.

"Yeah, but we'll take care of that sooner or later," she replied airily, as he opened their door. Previously, he would have let her in first, but now she knew that things always had to be checked before she could go in, so she waited.

"But seriously, I honestly don't know how I can ever explain how much you all have done for me," she said.

He came back after a moment, and gestured her inside, closing the door after her. They walked into the kitchen, and began unpacking the sacks. He took the empty sacks from her, to put them where they belonged.

She smiled as she hummed to herself, then laughed as she recognized the song, though it had been years since she heard it. She started moving around, shaking her hips as she danced through the kitchen, getting the food ready.

She hummed through the verse, since she couldn't remember it all, but as she came to the chorus, she couldn't help singing a little, even knowing her singing voice left much to be desired. "I'm walking on sunshine… Whoa-oh," she sang softly. "I'm walking on sunshine.. whoa-oh oh, I'm walking on sunshine…oh-oh… and don't it feel good! Hey!"

She stopped as she turned, seeing Fenris watching her from the doorway with a big smile. The times he actually smiled at her she could count on one hand, and so she just grinned back at him, incredibly happy.

"What?" she asked, and he shook his head. He came up and gave her a hug.

"Nothing," he said. "I'm just happy."

"Good!" she exclaimed, squeezing him in return, then pushing him back. "Now help me get this food ready!"

His smile had gone, but his smirk was almost as good. He moved to her other side, grabbing the pitcher of water and removing the towel covering it. He poured some into a bowl and started washing the fruit as she began humming again.

He glanced over, but said nothing. He thought about the words she had sung, thinking how apt they were. She was one that seemed to bring sunshine with her, so he had no trouble believing that she was walking on it.

He didn't want to interrupt, but did want to speak before anyone arrived, and there was no telling who would come or when they would.

"So," he said, and her humming cut off. "I wanted to ask how you truly felt about going to this wyvern hunt."

She glanced over, and decided to humor him. "Honestly, I spoke the truth. Like seeing a dragon for the first time, I would love to see a wyvern. They don't exist back home you know, so it would be like watching magic."

"And we all know how you love that," he replied with a chuckle. "And the elf?" he asked.

"Tallis?" she replied. "She's a lot like me."

"Oh?!" he said, turning.

"Oh, sorry, not like that. I just meant she has secrets, but eventually she'll trust Hawke enough to share some of them. She's trying to do the right thing, but going against great opposition to do it." She turned as well, with a sheepish look. "I feel like it's cheating somehow, to be telling you things about others."

"I suppose… I can understand. If you don't want to, you only have to say so."

"It isn't that," she replied. "It's just strange. I can almost forget sometimes, not that I know things, but that everyone else doesn't."

He gave her a look that she couldn't quite decipher. "So you want to go then?" he asked.

"Yeah, I really do. Besides," she continued. "If things go according to what I remember, Leli should be there. I'd love to see her." He face fell slightly. "Though, with all this Crow business, who knows?"

"This honestly was not in the story?" he asked quietly, and she shook her head.

"No. They were after Zev, yes, but remember, I'm not in the story. Just being here… it changes things, whether I want it to or not."

He nodded, sorry that he had dulled her mood with this talk. But, he would be able to now tell Hawke that he agreed that they should take the time to help Tallis.

They continued to talk as they prepared the food, and eventually their friends began showing up.

Hawke was one of the last to arrive, and Cat squealed happily at seeing both Anders and Sebastian accompanying him. She ran forward giving out hugs, for it felt far too long since she had spent time with either of them.

"Sit, sit!" she urged, as she led everyone into the kitchen. "Have some breakfast!"

She began rummaging through the cabinets, finding more bread and cheese and setting them on the table with the fruits and pastries. Fenris brought out wine and cups, and everyone began bringing in chairs from other rooms to sit in.

"It feels like you were expecting us, Little Dove," Varric said as he took a seat, and grabbed a pastry. "This is quite the spread."

"Well, we knew Hawke and Issy were coming back, but yes, we thought that perhaps others would find their way here as well. Though I didn't think it would be everyone!" she said with a grin as she moved around the room insuring everyone had a chair, before she too sat down.

She sat next to Anders giving him a grin that he returned. They began passing the food around, each taking some, as Fenris poured wine, and they passed the cups down to each other as well.

"Perhaps we should eat here instead of the Hanged Man from now on," Sebastian stated, much to Varric's shock.

"Those are fighting words, Choir boy," the dwarf said. "No offense Little Dove," he added.

"No offense taken. I think it would be a full time job to have meals like this ready every day." She glanced over at Sebastian with a smile. "No thank you."

"Can't blame me for trying," he replied. "It's delicious, by the way."

"Yes, thank you Cat," Aveline added, and the others were quick to add their own thanks.

"Oh stop it, and just eat," she answered.

"So Varric, what have you got?" Hawke asked, changing the subject, though he was enjoying seeing the smile in Cat's eyes again.

"From what I can tell, she's not yanking us around," he replied, and took a drink. "She means to steal something from that duke, but she's got a much bigger plan in place than what she is telling us."

"So, how do we find out what it is?" Hawke asked.

"Well..." Varric started and Hawke gestured him to continue. "She seems pretty interested in you, Hawke. I think that could have been exploited- if you weren't previously involved, that is." Hawke raised and eyebrow, but turned to give Cat a wink.

"Do you really need to know?" Aveline spoke up. "Can't you just agree to get her in, and be done with it? You'll cause enough of a distraction that she can steal whatever she wants to on her own."

"True enough," Hawke replied. "And it's not me… it's we."

"We what?" she asked.

"We will cause a distraction," he replied. "Because I want everyone to come along."

The noise level grew exponentially, as everyone began talking at once. Anders, Sebastian, and Aveline were quick to say why they couldn't go, while Merrill and Isabela were suddenly overjoyed at the thought. Varric began saying something to Cat and Fenris about the more the merrier, and finally Hawke yelled out.

"Quiet!"

The chatter stopped, though the yell had been amused, not angry. "I want everyone to come, because we'll be celebrating Cat's name day while we're there, and she asked if everyone could be there." He glanced over at Cat, seeing her smiling hopefully at the others. "Think about okay? I know she'll be sad if anyone isn't there with us."

"I'll need a few days to prepare," Anders said, changing his tune. "I'd want to get my clients what they need for while I'm gone."

"Donnic can cover for me," Aveline added. "But I'll need a bit of time to go over routines, and create a rotation for while I'm gone."

"I'll need to make sure the Grand Cleric won't need me as well, but I think I should be able to," Sebastian spoke up, and Hawke shook his head.

"I'm so glad to know that if I ask for myself, you wouldn't be able to make it, but for Cat, you easily find a way," he teased.

Aveline looked sheepish, but the other two merely smirked at Hawke.

"Hawke and I came up with a good distraction plan for the Crows as well," Isabela stated, with a wink to Cat. "We just need to fine tune it, but we'll be ready."

"How long of a trip is it?" Cat asked.

"About two days on horse," Hawke replied. "But if we walk straight through the day, probably more like four. "I'd say we should leave within five days. Then we can take our time and enjoy the trip. Does that work for everyone?" he asked.

Nods from all around the table, had Cat's excitement level rising again. "Thank you guys!" she said with a grin.

"I must say Cat, you seem much better than yesterday," Aveline said nonchalantly.

"Yes," she replied.

"So… uh… sleep well then?" Aveline asked, and Isabela laughed.

"If you want to know what happened, Lady man hands, just come out and say it," she teased.

Aveline scowled, but Varric spoke up. "I want to know, Rivaini," he said, even as he went for more food. "Care to tell? It looked like there was tension between our love birds."

"Oh, I get it!" Merrill said suddenly. "Because he's a hawk, and she's a dove. Birds!" she giggled.

"Well, uh, okay," Varric said shaking his head. "You got it, Daisy."

Cat smiled at Merrill, loving her innocent nature, even if she got jokes that weren't even made. "Yes, Issy," she said. "I'm interested to hear your take on things."

"Oh, then just sit back and enjoy," Isabela smirked. "It was epic, Varric, you should have seen it…"

Cat did as she suggested, and sat back, enjoying her breakfast with a story.


	82. Chapter 82- Chateau Haine

**A/N: Hope everyone is doing well! I know things are crazy right now out there, so stay safe!**

* * *

"Tallis, thank you for coming," Hawke said as the elf came into the room.

"I won't lie Hawke," she replied still looking around the Champion's home as she had been as she followed the dwarf through. "I'm hoping this hasn't been a giant waste of my time."

"I suppose that will depend on your definition," he answered, offering her a place to sit, which she refused. She looked from the Champion to his companions. She knew from the information she gathered that he had an eclectic group following him, and that they were loyal- not bought; friends… something that she didn't believe truly existed anymore.

"That doesn't sound promising," she muttered, wondering where the rest of his group were. There were currently only a beardless dwarf and a tall elf that looked angry. She remembered both of them from her first meeting with the Champion. They had been protecting a woman at the time, and didn't garner her attention much.

"You'll have to just hear me out then, to find out for certain," he said with a charming smirk, something that Tallis could appreciate. She was more than used to his type- she had seen it enough in all her travels. __He may have some qualms about stealing, unless there was a compelling reason…__ thinking back to his companions, she thought there wouldn't be anything he wouldn't do for them, and the thought made her return the smile. __Looks like I'll need to endear the Champion to me then.__

She moved back to the chair, changing tactics slightly, and looking a little more vulnerable, but showing the fight to show strength. She wasn't the best actress, but felt she could pull this off at least.

"After waiting this long, I'd be a fool not to," she replied, sitting down and focusing on him with a smile of her own.

Hawke reevaluated, wondering why the sudden change in demeanor, but decided to just go with it. "We are planning on going to the Duke's, and you are welcome to come along," he said.

"But?" she asked, looking apprehensive.

He nodded at her understanding. "However," he said with a smile, "I am not certain we should help in your… uh, other endeavors."

Tallis took a moment, closing her eyes briefly, and taking a deep breath, in order to keep herself steady. She looked back up at him, ensuring the gratitude showed in her eyes. "I can appreciate that," she said, and gave a little smirk. "I suppose I could try to convince you on the journey there?" she asked cheekily.

Hawke enjoyed the humor, and was intrigued at the sudden change in her approach. She was obsessed with this treasure, certainly, but not in the normal way he had seen before. He did enjoy a good puzzle, and wanted to find the answer to this one.

"You are welcome to try," he agreed with an incline of his head. "No guarantees though."

She stood again, pacing a little as she thought logistics. "We'll need to leave in two weeks at the latest," she said. "Did the Duke give any instructions as to the size of your company?"

Hawke looked back, surprised. "Not that I am aware of," he replied. "I'll have to ask Cat, she was the one who was speaking with him."

Tallis was now the one looking surprised. "Wait, the invitation was for someone else?" she asked.

"For both of us, though the Duke seems more pleased with Cat than with me," Hawke replied ruefully.

"She did a better job of stroking his ego," Varric pointed out, his eyes still shrewd. Hawke wanted them here to observe, and try to figure out Tallis' true objective. Varric didn't like that she was just as adept as keeping secrets as he was at ferreting them out.

"I hadn't heard that the Champion was married," Tallis said nonchalantly, and Varric's eyebrow rose at the way she shut herself off.

"I'm not married!" Hawke said quickly, sounding panicked. Varric and Fenris both turned slightly to peer at him.

"Oh?" Tallis said, glancing back curiously. "My mistake." She stood there for a moment, before stepping forward again, her hand outstretched. "I know I don't have other options, but that doesn't mean I would ask just anyone for help," she said. "I accept."

Hawke took her hand and grinned. "Welcome aboard. We'll be leaving in four days."

Varric settled back in his chair, still observing as Hawke explained the details. He could see the easiest way to handle Tallis… and while it would be an easy thing for Hawke... he was just as certain the Little Dove wouldn't appreciate it.

* * *

Everyone had warned her. It wasn't like she hadn't prepared herself for an extremely long trip, or to want to maim a certain red-headed elf. But Cat hadn't known just how strongly the emotions would hit her.

Varric had been the one to broach the subject of the way Tallis had acted around Hawke, changing from the no-nonsense, tough mercenary into a vulnerable and flirtatious woman. It had been decided, with her permission of course, that Hawke would cultivate that in order to get the female to confide in him.

The fact that Cat could have easily told them all what was going on with Tallis almost had her speaking up, but she felt guilty even thinking of sharing someone's secrets with others, and couldn't bring herself to do it.

It wasn't like she could be mad at Hawke either, because he wasn't ignoring her or even treating her differently, he was simply doing the same with Tallis. She knew he was merely giving Tallis attention in order to find out what he could about her.

And she couldn't know how very much he enjoyed the thought of Cat being jealous.

All things considered, she actually liked Tallis. She was beautiful, deadly, experienced, and made Cat feel slightly inadequate, and the problem was… the feeling was growing a little each day.

Seeing Tallis with her daggers had Cat bringing along her crossbow, though it had been some time since she had used it for anything besides target practice with Sebastian. She found herself competing with Tallis over everything, just to prove to herself that she measured up, and it made her angry with herself, which in turn made her angry with the elf.

To top it all off, Cat could feel Tallis treating __her__ differently as well. Almost… subservient in a way, but in an angry way. __As if she had to, but hated it__ , Cat thought. __Which is the strangest part. If anyone was noble and deserved the treatment, it would be Hawke or Sebastian, and Tallis treated both of them like old friends.__

The whole situation was vexing to her, and while Cat wanted to get it off her chest, she was at the same time ashamed of feeling that way. She knew in her head, if there was any sort of question over the two of them, her friends would put her first.

And so, she would bury her feelings of inadequacy and guilt over Tallis. She knew she would get over it, eventually, and didn't want to jeopardize Hawke's future friendship with Tallis.

"Cat!"

She turned at the shout, seeing Sebastian coming for her with his bow in hand. She smiled as she stood. "Time to hunt up dinner?" she asked.

"Let's go," he replied, and she shook off her thoughts and went to grab her crossbow from her tent. She joined Sebastian, Merrill and Varric, and they headed off to hunt up something for their group to eat.

"I can't believe I'm going to a fancy party," Merrill said to Cat as they walked. "But I'm so glad to be invited!"

"Honestly Merrill, I don't know how fancy it will be," Cat replied.

"They're Orlesian, Little Dove," Varric said. "Orlesians have to make everything fancy."

"I suppose," Cat said wryly.

"I'm just so nervous!" Merrill exclaimed. "What if I do something wrong and embarrass us? I always do something wrong."

"You'll be fine Merrill," Sebastian placated her.

"But… I don't know anything about human manners, especially for a dinner! What if I use the wrong fork? And then accidentally stab someone with it? That sounds like something that would happen to me."

Sebastian looked flummoxed, and turned to Cat and Varric. Both of them gave a shrug, and he turned back to Merrill. "Uh… just… act annoyed that they bled on your dress… and no one will even notice?" he responded, and Merrill gave him an appraising look before nodding, starting to hum under her breath and moving away.

Sebastian looked back to the other two, a baffled look on his face. Cat and Varric chuckled as they moved to catch up to Merrill.

* * *

All things considered, the trip was actually fun. Cat got to spend time with each of her friends, both individually and in group settings. She had missed this, the easy way they blended together, even though some of them saw things differently, even disagreeing, she could feel the affection they had for each other.

After the week with only each other, she could also understand why everyone was more accepting of Tallis. They weren't going to offer her a place on the crew or anything, but she had opened up enough that they felt like they knew her a little better.

The problem for Cat however, was that Tallis was just as competitive as she was, and much better at being stealthy. Numerous times throughout the trip, Cat had found her things misplaced, only to have someone else find them right where they should be. Tallis seemed to excel at making her look like a fool, and Cat was actually quite happy once they saw Chateau Haine in the distance.

Her hopes were dashed of course, as Hawke announced that he wanted to continue to help Tallis. He didn't give any reasons, but he was adamant about seeing the entire thing through. Cat was angry until she saw the look of shock on Tallis' face. She couldn't hold onto her anger when it was obvious that Tallis was unused to having someone on her side.

"So Hawke, how are we going to play this?" Aveline asked. "The nobles and their entourage? Or simply the Champion and his crew?"

"I think somewhere in between," Hawke replied, as he stepped over to Cat, his hand running down her shoulder, and he gave her a smile. "If we play the noble card, Cat won't be able to join in the hunt. But if we stick to just the crew, we may not be given the leeway we need to sneak around the chateau."

"The Champion with his lady, accompanied by servants and bodyguards?" Varric suggested.

"Cat? How do you feel about that?" Hawke asked in reply as he turned to her.

"I don't know…" she said, thinking.

"It's the wisest course, my lady," Tallis said to Cat, acting the servant, making Cat bristle.

"And that's the problem," Cat replied. "Not that it's the wisest," she added as she realized what she had implied because of the wry smiles directed at her. "But because __I__ wouldn't have servants."

"True," Anders answered. "We need to keep everything as close to the truth as possible, or they will know we're up to something."

"No," Tallis said, causing several to look back to her. "These people are Orlesian. You will be more noticeable if you do not have servants. They do not know you, they will simply expect you to be as they are."

"She has a point," Hawke said, looking back to Cat. "We want to be able to blend in."

Cat had to admit, Tallis was right, even if she didn't like it. "So what, women with me, and men with you?" she asked Hawke, and he smirked at her.

"I'll trade you Aveline for Varric?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"Please, you know he's here for entertainment," she said, giving Varric a wink. "Though we can use Sebastian's title as well. Isabela with me, Aveline with Sebastian, and Fenris with you?" she asked.

"You know nothing of Orlesians, do you?" Tallis said, exasperated. She looked at the crew, before starting to point at each. "You, and you… with her. You and I with Hawke, and you, you, and you, are simply traveling companions."

Hawke looked confused as well, so Cat didn't feel bad about asking. "Why?"

Tallis rolled her eyes, but explained… to Hawke. "A man in your position could hire anyone to be his bodyguard, especially because he wouldn't really need one. So, expected by the Orlesians, any travelling servant or bodyguard would be female, and attractive. In turn, a servant for your lady would be female, so as to not encourage anything, but a bodyguard would be a warrior- for Orlesians do not expect a lady to be able to protect herself. By making him an elf also, they assume he is also a servant, of yours."

Hawke nodded, though Cat could see the disgust on his features. "Very well. Aveline, you're here, I'm assuming to keep an eye on Sebastian, Varric, as a friend- not entertainment," he said with a wink to Cat, "and Isabela and Tallis with me. Fenris, Anders and Merrill, with Cat."

"I need two bodyguards?" she asked dryly.

"Better safe than sorry," he replied. He stepped closer and spoke softly, "we don't know anything about where we are staying, and I'd feel better if you had both of them with you."

She nodded, though she rolled her eyes just for form. "All right, I guess that's settled then," she said loudly, ignoring Tallis' smirk.

They all nodded, and adjusted their positions before the group continued on toward the chateau.

* * *

Cat could admit that the Duke had an incredible home. They had made good time, and the hunt would happen in two days, so she had plenty of time to simply explore the chateau and the grounds.

Duke Prosper was busy, but he made time to introduce Cat to his wife and son, and asked them to help keep her occupied until the hunt. His wife was kind, but somewhat bland, and Cat found herself keeping company with his son, Cyril.

It wasn't that Cyril was much better than his mother when it came to topics of conversation, but that he wanted to impress her, so he set about showing her all the marvels of their estate.

When Cat expressed her excitement to go on the hunt and see a wyvern, Cyril offered his arm and a surprise, and Cat went along willingly, with Fenris trailing behind them silently.

"These gardens are quite lovely," Cat said, to break the quiet.

"Thank you my lady, though in truth, I have nothing to do with them. It is a project that my mother enjoys- designing and executing the gardens around the estate," Cyril replied. "My father has often said that if she were not noble, she would have been some sort of horticulturist."

"I find that fascinating," Cat said, "as I have no talent for such things."

"And why would you?" he asked. "From what I saw, Kirkwall was still in its early, barbaric state, and has not yet become cultured."

Cat smiled at the insult, thinking what an idiot this guy was. __If we're so barbaric, you probably shouldn't insult us, you moron,__ she thought. But knowing that he could come in handy later, she simply let it go as though she didn't understand.

"We are still young, its true, especially compared to other places such as Orlais," she replied with a smile.

"Ah, Orlais…" he said, looking out at the mountains. "I cannot wait to return home. Though I look forward to the hunt each year, it does make me homesick."

"So your father does this every year?" she asked as they continued walking.

"Yes, though not quite so grandly. This year is proving to be quite the spectacle."

Cat stopped, grabbing onto his arm more tightly. "Did you hear that?" she asked, looking around.

Cyril smirked at her, and looking back, at how close her bodyguard had come to them. He sneered at the elf who immediately backed away, but only a step. He turned back to Cat with his smirk back in place.

"Hear what, my lady?" he asked.

She could hear it in his voice, and looked at him shrewdly. "You wouldn't happen to be teasing me, now would you, lord Cyril?" she asked.

"Perhaps I simply enjoy the way you hold my arm, and want it to continue," he answered smoothly.

Cat pinked slightly, wishing she was a better actress. She felt as if he was playing with her, simply because she was there, and she sighed. Though she meant to keep it to herself, it came out loudly.

"Tired, my lady?" he asked her.

"Is that your way of distracting me from that noise?" she asked, looking at him pointedly.

He laughed, and pulled her along the path they were walking. "Not at all," he replied. "It is simply quite a shocking thing, and I want to make sure you're awake for it."

"Oh, I'm awake," she answered with a smile. She glanced back herself, wishing she was simply walking with Fenris. __Or Garrett,__ she thought. Fenris rolled his eyes, and she grinned.

* * *

Cyril glanced over as he led the lady onward. She was proving to be much more exciting than the ladies he usually spent time with. She didn't titter, she didn't stroke his ego, she said what she thought, though he admitted it was far from profound. It was more that she simply wasn't trying… and he had to admit, the challenge was irresistible.

She was beautiful- He couldn't fault the Champion's taste. And coming from that uncivilized area meant that in a way… she was wild. He wondered just how wild she really was. He didn't miss her sigh, and though he teased her about being tired, he suspected that she was bored. This was no lady that would simply enjoy quiet walks around the garden.

He had heard from his father that she was also a warrior. One that accompanied the Champion, and would even take part in the hunt, Maker have mercy. That would be an interesting sight, to be certain.

The corner of his lips curved up in anticipation as he led her closer to Leopold. He was looking forward to her reaction.

* * *

Cat glanced over, though her gaze didn't linger. She didn't want Cyril getting any ideas, but it wasn't like him to be so quiet. It seemed he always had something good to say about himself or something insulting to say about her home or friends.

She could hear the noises from earlier getting louder, and she realized as they went through a large archway into what looked like a kennel of some kind, that he was taking her to see the Duke's pet wyvern.

Coming around another corner, she could see the cage, where a truly massive beast was being held. Her hand that wasn't holding Cyril's arm went into a fist, as she tried to hold back her excitement.

"Well, my lady? What do you think?" Cyril asked.

"Amazing…" she breathed, even as the wyvern roared in their direction.

Cyril stood there, fascinated, though he wasn't looking at the beast. He thought he now understood the Champion a little better, as the lady turned to look at him. Her eyes were shinning, her smile wide, and he thought she was simply exquisite.

She tried to step forward, and he held her back. "This is as close as we can get," he said softly. "Otherwise he may spit at us."

She looked disappointed, but listened to him, and stayed put. "Have you gotten closer before?" she asked.

"Indeed. In fact, my father uses him as a mount sometimes."

She turned to him again, her eyes alight. "Really?" she asked with a secret smile, and he couldn't help but want to know all her secrets, very much so.

"It's true," he replied, thinking what a wonderful distraction she would be until he could return to Orlais. If the Champion was anything like the other nobles he knew, he wouldn't even mind.

* * *

"Goodnight," Cat replied, moving away, with Fenris following her. They walked in silence back to her rooms, and as soon as she was behind the door, she let out a weary groan.

"Thank goodness," she said, wiping the back of her hand on Fenris' chest, trying to get rid of the feel of Cyril's lips. "I swear, its almost more than I can take to be around that sleazeball."

"Oh, really?"

She turned, seeing all of her friends- except for Hawke, Sebastian and Aveline- were seated around her suite, playing cards. And smirking at her.

"Not liking the Duke's son, eh Little Dove?" Varric asked.

"Not really, no," she replied as she flopped into a sitting chair. "He might have been a nice guy, before Orlais trained him to think he was worth more than anyone else."

"I'm fairly certain Orlesians are born that way," Anders said dryly. "At least in my experience."

"Well, his father is much better," Cat groused. "He was downright pleasant to speak with at the banquet."

"More adept at hiding it perhaps," Isabela corrected. "He looks at women as if they were things, not people."

"Then his son is following right in his footsteps," Fenris added, as he too found a chair to sit in. "He is quite intrigued with Cat."

Cat looked over with disgust. "Probably because I don't fawn all over him."

"That is probably more true than you know, Kitty," Isabela said. "They like it, up until the time they think they own you, and then they try to break you of that."

"Sounds like you have experience with that, Rivaini," Varric said as he dealt out cards.

"No, just know the type," she replied.

"So where did he take you tonight, Cat?" Merrill asked.

"Through another garden," Cat replied. "Though from the look of the preparations, that will most likely be where the party is held, after the hunt."

"Agreed," Fenris added.

"Doesn't the man have anything better to show you?" Anders complained.

"Yes, actually," Cat smirked at him. "He showed me his father's prized mount."

"I take it, it wasn't his mother," Isabela quipped, and Cat roared with laughter.

"No, I said prized, remember?" she answered with a laugh. "He showed me their pet wyvern."

The room was quiet for a few moments as that sunk in.

"Really?" Varric asked. "With everything I've heard of the creatures, they didn't seem the type to take a saddle."

"I'm assuming they broke it with food and with pain," Fenris replied. "It had scars all over it's legs."

Cat turned to him in surprise. "He did?" she asked. "I didn't see that."

"Well, he did keep us back pretty far," he replied. He turned to the others, "apparently they spit a rather bad poison, that burns like acid."

"Terrific," Anders said. "I'd better spend some time asking their healers about that."

"If not their healers, than their trainers are sure to have something," Cat said to him, and he nodded in reply.

"So where's Hawke?" she finally asked, since none of them had been forthcoming.

"On another tour," Isabela answered. "This time for Sebastian." She mimicked his voice by sounding pompous. "I simply must have a closer look at your tapestries," she said.

"And he took Aveline?" Cat asked with a smile.

"Yeah Choir boy took Aveline, and Hawke took Tallis," Varric replied. "Gave them a chance to get a better look at the guard positions and such."

"Good for them," Cat muttered, much to the amusement of the others. "All right then, everyone out. I'm going to bed."

"Already?" Isabela asked. "You know that you're considered a noble here, right Kitty? You can sleep in as late as you want."

"Sounds wonderful, but you know that won't happen," Cat replied as she headed for the bedroom. "Merrill, can you help me?" she asked as she walked out of sight.

"Sure Cat," she answered, hopping off her chair and into the other room.

Eyes around the room suddenly went flat as they looked over to Fenris. "Well?" Isabela asked.

"It is as she said," he replied. "Though she noticed the boy's interest, I do not think she understands that he wants an affair."

Isabela snorted. "She has yet to even start with Hawke, so I'm not worried there… unless he's the type to be forceful?" she asked.

Fenris shook his head. "Even if he were, she would be able to subdue him."

"Good. What else?"

Fenris gave a quick report, outlining the lay of the gardens, the wyvern cage, and the number of people that they had witnessed along the way.

"Any sight of Crows?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Well done," Varric said when he finished. "Hawke will be happy to have this information for the party."

"I'm hoping we won't need it," Anders said.

"When has one of our plans gone exactly as we planned?" Varric asked him with a smirk.

"You may have a point," Anders conceded.


	83. Chapter 83- The Wyvern Hunt

The following day, was uneventful in comparison to the one after it. More guests were arriving, so there was no chance to take tours, and the strangest part to Cat was the fact that all the other guests brought their own tents and accommodations.

"Why would all these people come for a hunt, and not even be given a place to stay?" she asked aloud to the crew that were in her sitting room. She didn't turn from her place at the window as she continued to watch those that were arriving with their entourages.

"Actually, that is the most common," Tallis responded, sounding bored. "It prevents assassination attempts, as well as theft. Most Orlesians don't trust their own kin after all… especially the nobility."

"It seems like some would think it too much trouble to come this far for a hunt," Anders spoke up. "And, I think we may have been happier outside."

"Speak for yourself," Isabela said. "I'd much rather have the bed then a roll of fabric on the ground."

"I wonder what made us so special as to get rooms?" Hawke asked from his place at the table, where he and Tallis where going over their notes and plans. "Not that I'm complaining."

A knock sounded on the door, and Fenris stood to open it, though Cat moved from the window to come in view.

"Apologies," a servant said when the door opened, and he bowed. "My lord Cyril extends an invitation for the lady Catarina to walk the grounds?"

Fenris looked back to her with a roll of his eyes, and Cat stifled her sigh. __It would be nice to get out for a bit,__ she thought, trying to see the bright side. "I would be pleased to," she told Fenris, who relayed the message that they would meet in the main hall in a half hour.

"How many walks does the man need?" Hawke grumbled under his breath, hoping no one would hear him.

"Ugh, that means I have to put a dress on, doesn't it?" Cat asked no one in particular, as she headed for her bedroom, and Merrill followed behind her, asking if she could pick the dress.

"I'd say, __that__ is the reason we were given rooms," Isabela said with a smirk. "Or, at least Kitty was the reason, and we just happened to be part of her group."

Hawke grumbled again, and Tallis looked at him in question.

"Do you want to go with her?" she asked, and Hawke's head shot up.

"What? No," he replied. "We've just barely started with this," he said, pointing down at their papers.

"I know, I just…" she trailed off.

"What?" Hawke asked, facing her, and giving his undivided attention.

"You're the Champion of Kirkwall. It's a fancy title."

Hawke looked at her in confusion. "Well, The Only One in Kirkwall Not Completely Insane __was__ considered, but they went with this one. Why?"

"Do get something from it?" she asked. "A stipend, or… a companion…"

"I got a medal," he snapped. "It's shiny. Does that answer your question?"

"Uh, yes." She looked down a moment before looking at him again. "Thank you, by the way. For agreeing to do this."

Hawke looked another moment, but she seemed genuine about this, so he softened. "I'm a sucker for hard cases, Tallis. Just look at my companions," he said as his arms swept the room, and the others voices were heard in protest.

"Oh, you have no idea," Varric added, though Tallis could feel the growing tension in the room.

Deciding she needed to make things right, she waited until Cat and Fenris had left before broaching the subject again.

"Look, I didn't mean to be insulting, it's just not clear… the situation with Cat and… you all are very guarded," she said hesitantly.

The tension rose again, and Tallis could practically feel a wall drop between them and herself.

"Just leave it alone," Aveline said forcefully, and Tallis saw a few small nods before everyone went back to what they were doing. She glanced back at Hawke, and he began speaking of the possible problems they could encounter, so she left it alone, though she was determined to figure it out.

* * *

Cat was more than ready to be done with all of the intrigue. The last few days had been… well, lonely, and she knew that that was strange. To be lonely when she was surrounded by friends, made her feel silly.

Not only that, but this was supposed to be some sort of name day celebration, and the group had spent the entire day in her suite of rooms without a single mention of it. Which of course made her feel ridiculous. The fact that they were here was her present... Hawke had even said so. __So why am I upset?__ she thought. __It doesn't make sense!__

Part of her was blaming Tallis, because of course everyone was acting guarded around the unknown element. Tallis didn't yet trust them, and they still had no idea what she had going on in the background, so of course, they didn't trust her either. And she hadn't exactly been on good terms with Tallis either, so that didn't help.

The other part of her mind was telling her that if she would just explain everything to Hawke, none of this would be happening. They wouldn't even go after the stupid fake jewel, or whatever they currently had planned.

She was always quick to shut that part up.

 _ _I had my reasons for keeping this from him__ , she told herself again.

"My lady, you seem to be having unpleasant thoughts," Cyril said, gaining her attention. "I hope I am not the reason for such things."

Cat shook her head and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Of course not, I apologize. I must admit to not being fond of wearing such things," she said as she pointed to her dress. It was as good a reason as any, and right now it was true. Though she could admit to herself that in different company she wouldn't mind what she was wearing.

"Oh I see, the price paid for beauty is it?" he asked with a chuckle. "Well I must say, that you have been successful, for each time I see you I find that you are even more beautiful than the last."

"You're too kind, my lord," Cat said, glad that Cyril couldn't tell when she was being sarcastic, or fake. She smiled a little at the enjoyment Fenris must be getting from watching them.

"I'm interested to see the outfit you'll don tomorrow for the hunt," Cyril continued. "I'm told you will be accompanying the Champion?" he asked.

Cat looked away so she could roll her eyes. __Duh, moron, I told you that.__ "Yes, that's true. I have armor that I'll be wearing," she replied.

"That should be an interesting sight for certain," Cyril replied with another chuckle. "I have not seen a lady wearing armor before."

Cat tried to keep her voice light. "I'm quite certain there are women in your father's guard, are there not?" she asked.

"Oh yes," he replied airily. "But you misunderstand, I meant a lady of class, not just any woman."

"Oh, I see," she answered shortly. "Do you mind if we head back? I want to retire early to prepare myself for the hunt tomorrow."

He shrugged. "If that is what you want."

"Thank you, it is," she replied. She turned on her heel, but he grabbed her arm, and placed it within his own as he steered her another direction.

"This way will be shorter," he said with what she could only call a smirk, but it wasn't enticing at all, and she usually enjoyed smirks. She wondered what he was up to, as he led her through the chateau instead of around the gardens.

They traveled through what looked like preparation areas for food, and storage areas filled with barrels and casks. Cat looked around, first in confusion, but also impressed at the sheer amount of planning that had gone into this hunt.

"It seems everything is ready for the party tomorrow?" she asked, wondering where they were going.

"Yes, it would seem that way," he replied, though his focus was elsewhere.

He finally stopped in the main hall, though they were up at the top of a flight of stairs. "This way," he said with a smile, that he must have thought charming, but Cat pulled back.

"My lord, my rooms are this way," she said politely, pointing.

"And mine are this way," he countered, pulling her towards himself.

"Uh…" Her mind blanked for a moment, wondering how in the world he had gotten the idea into his head that she'd join him in his room.

"My lord, it would be unseemly for my lady to accompany you to your rooms," Fenris spoke up, though quietly so as not to attract attention.

"It is also your lady's decision," Cyril sneered back, and turned to Cat. "It seems your play thing is jealous my lady. Do you not include him often enough in your revelries?"

"My…" Cat looked shocked. "I assure you, __my lord,__ Fenris is my body guard, and my friend," she hissed, more insulted of what he called Fenris than his insinuations of her. "And I do not engage in such __revelries__ , as you say."

"Oh?" he asked, surprised. "The champion does not like to share, is that it? Surely if he can have his fun with his harlots, you can enjoy others as well?"

"It seems you have the wrong idea of both of us," Cat said with disdain. "Goodnight, Lord Cyril," she said, giving a little curtsy, and turning to Fenris, who immediately blocked her from any repercussions.

"Ah, I see," he replied, leaning against the banister. "You're worried of your reputation? Well, now you know where I will be this evening. Please know that you are always welcome."

She glanced at him, uncertain, before looking away and heading toward another staircase that would take her back to her rooms.

"Fenris…" she whispered, knowing that even though he was behind her, he would be able to hear her. "Don't tell him about this. We don't need the trouble." She heard a grunt, and breathed a little easier. "Don't worry," she said with a smile. "That was most definitely our __last__ walk in the gardens."

* * *

Isabela knew something was up. She could feel trouble in the air like Varric could feel an oncoming story. __And Kitty is somehow tangled in the middle of it all,__ she thought as she watched her friend exit her room wearing her armor.

Cat had come back from her walk claiming exhaustion, and had retired for the evening well before the sun went down, causing the rest of them to question Fenris, though he wouldn't answer.

"Something is going on," Varric muttered, as they exited the rooms together and headed outside to await the beginning of the hunt. "I just don't know what it is… yet."

"I couldn't agree more," Isabela replied, just as softly. "This isn't the fun get-away we were hoping for."

"I'd say at least we aren't being chased by birds, but… well I may have already jinxed us," he said with a wince.

"With all the people we paid to make false trails, those birds will probably wait for us to show back at Kirkwall," she answered with a smirk. "Though, while we're out hunting __would__ be an ideal time for an ambush."

"Can't you ever give me good news Rivaini?" Varric complained as they walked out of the keep. They kept quiet then, as they were surrounded by others, mostly Orlesian with small groups to accompany them.

"Maker's tears, Prosper," A masked man complained to the Duke. "When is this going to get started?"

"Presently," the duke replied, though not seeming to truly care about placating the man. The duke continued to look around, seeing who was ready, and who they were still missing. He lit up a bit as he spotted Hawke's crew coming forward.

"Ah, Master Hawke, I'm so glad that you could make it," he said grandly, and Hawke bowed his head slightly in deference, wanting to keep on the man's good side. "And Lady Catarina," he continued, moving past Hawke quickly. "A vision of both beauty and strength."

Cat stopped, and gave the duke a smile. "Thank you, your grace. And of course, I must thank you for your hospitality! I have never slept so well!"

The duke offered his arm, and she took it, as he walked her past the tents and into the open, Hawke and his group following, amused at Cat's noble acting. "To be honest my dear, I did not truly think you would come! The Amells were friends of my mother's but haven't come to the hunt for ages. I was more than happy to start the tradition and friendship once again, now that your family's circumstances have… changed."

"Uh, right," Cat said, glancing over at Hawke, who looked annoyed. She was confused for a moment before she remembered she had been sporting the Amell crest on her dress the last time she had seen the duke. Apparently they all thought she and Hawke were married.

"So, what last minute advice can you give us, seeing as we have never encountered a wyvern before?" she asked, changing the subject.

"And why would you?" he laughed, as they stopped on the outskirts of the tents, where a large group was waiting. "They are magnificent beasts, cousins to the mighty dragons. My only advice? Beware their poison. It's the deadliest thing about them, and the most valuable."

"Their poison is valuable?" Hawke asked quietly as the duke gave Cat another salute over her hand and wandered away.

"Yes," Tallis said quietly. "They brew a drink from it called aquae lucidius, that is very big in Orlais. Apparently even the empress loves it."

"Nobles drinking poison," Anders said as he rolled his eyes. "What will they think of next?"

They quieted as the area fell silent, their attention back on the duke.

"All right everyone. You all know the tradition, yes? The first one to find and slay a wyvern wins the honors of the evening. And bragging rights, of course. Good luck to you all!" He shouted with a large smile, his arms outstretched to them.

The commotion was quite loud, but there was no hurry as a race might have had. Each group took off walking, all in different directions, and Hawke watched each of them go before he turned to his group.

"Do we have what we need?" he asked, and those around him nodded.

"I wasn't able to obtain antidote, but I did get the recipe. We should be able to find the ingredients we need as we go," Anders said, and Hawke nodded.

"Well then, let's go hunt a wyvern, shall we?" he said with a grin, and headed off.

They fell into easy banter as they made their way deeper into the mountain. Cat had to keep pulling Merrill back out of the trees, for fear that they would accidentally leave her behind.

"I can't help it Cat!" Merrill exclaimed with a smile. "I'm just so excited to be out of the city!"

"Well, we do spend a lot of time there, especially recently, and I'm sorry for that," Cat replied.

"It's not your fault," Merrill said, instantly defensive for her. "You can't help it if assassins are chasing you."

"Assassins are chasing you?" Tallis asked curiously.

"So far, the only assassin we've seen on this trip is you," Aveline replied shortly.

"Quick, someone change the subject," Varric teased.

"Assassins are known to target nobles," Tallis continued, musing.

"I'm not a noble," Cat answered, her back up at the comment.

"Actually, I think this hobnobbing with the nobility suits you and Hawke both," Anders commented.

Cat gave a gasp, looking at him in betrayal, while Hawke pointed at him and said, "Take that back!"

The group laughed, but Anders persisted. "That was meant in the best possible way of course! I could tell when I met you, Hawke, that you would rise above the rest of the refugees."

"And what about when you met Kitty?" Isabela asked with a wink.

"Well… uh," Anders stammered, and Isabela let out a guttural laugh.

"I think we all know what he was thinking when he first saw Kitty," she said. "Especially because she took off her pants!"

"Why do you have to make it sound dirty?" Cat complained, even as she chuckled. "You know he was healing a wound I had. And besides, you're the one who took my pants off!"

Hawke continued to walk, enjoying the atmosphere. He knew Isabela just liked to cause commotion, and he knew he had no reason to be jealous of Anders. Besides… it wasn't like he hadn't seen Cat without her pants on.

His mind somewhere else, he didn't pay attention until Aveline elbowed him. "What? Huh?" he said, looking around.

"Hmm, what could Hawke have been daydreaming about?" Isabela asked with a snicker.

"I said…" Tallis repeated, "that we made it to the hunting grounds."

Hawke nodded and looked around, noticing a few smaller groups were keeping in eyesight of each other. Not smart, since they would scare prey away, but they were also keeping their competitors from finding the wyverns as well. Since they weren't venturing farther, he had to wonder if they just put in the appearance of hunting, and really just came for the party.

"So," Varric spoke up. "Do we wander around shouting, Here wyvern, wyvern, wyvern?"

"We look for signs," Tallis replied, giving Varric a smile. "The sooner we finish this, the sooner we're in the Keep."

"And that's where the jewel is?" Hawke asked, and Tallis nodded.

"That's where the jewel is," she confirmed.

"Should we stay together, or split up?" Aveline asked Hawke. He glanced back, seeing Merrill and Fenris sticking close to Cat, and he felt they would continue to do so.

"Not split up, but we can spread out a bit, cover more ground that way," he answered.

The group split easily, and Cat was surrounded. She smirked as she looked around at her friends. They either had spoken of this previously, or were bonded now enough to know where everyone would instinctively go.

Sebastian, Varric and Aveline stayed near Hawke, with Tallis at his left side, Sebastian on the outer left edge, Varric behind him, and Aveline to his right. Isabela was next, staying between Hawke and Cat, with Anders and Merrill to her right and Fenris behind her.

"Wow," Cat said with a smile. "No wonder we're the most amazing team in Kirkwall."

"I think you mean the most amazing anywhere, Little Dove," Varric replied.

"It could have something to do with the mages," Anders commented with a smirk.

"Or just that we're well rounded," Sebastian chimed in, wanting to keep the peace.

"We should probably eat a little more if we want to be round, Sebastian," Merrill commented, causing most of the others to shake their heads.

"And we're all getting along, what are the odds?" Isabela mocked.

Taking that as some kind of invitation, Fenris said, "It doesn't seem that I'll make the Arlathvhen."

Everyone glanced at him in confusion, except for Merrill, who turned in shock.

"An Arlathvhen? Where? When?" she exclaimed.

"In Halamshiral, though I believe it is already starting," he replied.

"What's an… arlath… whatever you said, Daisy?" Varric asked.

"A gathering of the clans," Merrill answered, looking sad. "Why didn't I know?"

"Elves still speak to __me__ ," Fenris answered. Cat turned to him with a frown. Merrill, looking upset, but resigned merely sighed.

"You've been waiting to say that," she said.

Fenris considered. "Maybe a little."

"What was that about getting along?" Aveline said in a tone loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"It was said in jest, Lady Biceps," Isabela retorted. "Not in invitation to prove me wrong."

"Fenris is best at destroying happiness," Anders said nonchalantly, and the others broke out in arguments.

"Everyone shut up!" Cat said loudly, and the buzz of insects and distant voices could suddenly be heard in the stillness.

Tallis, lifted her eyebrow, intrigued.

"Cat-"

"No!" she interrupted. "I don't want to hear it. You all pretend you don't get along, and you only stay together for Hawke, but I know the truth. The moment someone else comes along and tried to insult or hurt one of you, the others would be ready to kill that person in the blink of an eye."

She glared out at them, working really hard to not smile as she wanted to. They knew it as well as she did, but it seemed to go against something innate to admit it.

"Now, I don't know about all of you, but just winning this thing isn't good enough. I think we should bring back the biggest, baddest wyvern out here, but we'll have to work together…" she offered, now letting her smile show as she glanced at Hawke, who was grinning at her.

"I thought pep talks were my job," he said sardonically.

"Well, don't be so slow then," she quipped, and started walking again. "You know I don't mind the teasing, just be sure not to go overboard, all right?" she asked, looking around. "Or you're wyvern bait."

She got all sorts of smiles, nods, and smirks in return, and the group continued on their journey.

"Speaking of," Isabela spoke up, "do we need a lure? What do wyverns like?"

"If we're lucky," Aveline replied, "slutty pirates."

"That's no way to speak of Kitty," Isabela said with a grin. "We tried so hard to pass her off as a lady."

Cat chuckled with the rest of them, laughing a bit more at Tallis' confused expression.

"I doubt it will be that easy," Cat replied. "But we can look for clues."

The group came a little closer, as they followed Hawke up what could have been a path used by animals further into the mountain. Birds flew off into the sky as the people came near, and Hawke came closer to inspect what had drawn them in.

"Blood, and quite a bit," he announced. "But is it prey, or from a wyvern itself?" he asked.

"Well," Tallis replied, thinking. "I've heard that they can fight for dominance, which would probably spill some blood."

"Maybe we can use some then," Hawke replied, gesturing to Anders for a bottle. "Draw out a rival."

"Can't hurt to try," Tallis answered.

They waited for Hawke to gather some of the blood, and then they headed out again. Before very long, they came to a fork in the path, the left side sporting what looked like a broken archway.

"Were there people living in these mountains?" Sebastian asked, incredulous.

"Doubtful, there are no signs of habitation," Aveline replied. Hawke, curious, continued a little ways further, until he came into a clearing, where a large stone slab was the focal point.

"That looks like a really old altar," Tallis said. "A creepy altar."

"It reminds me of the one back on Sundermount," Hawke replied, looking over at Merrill for confirmation.

She nodded, and spoke. "But, there are some differences. There are no dalish carvings, nor graves nearby. I'd suspect it is not from the dalish."

"It could be some sort of cult then?" Anders spoke up. "Coming out to the woods to perform their rituals?" He looked uncomfortable. "Though in my experience, if they go to the woods to find seclusion… it usually isn't the Maker they are worshiping."

Hawke seemed curious still, and moved closer to the altar. "I wonder what this is?" he said quietly to himself.

Tallis, who was closest, warned, "I wouldn't touch it!"

Hawke merely gave her a grin. "What could happen?" he asked, as he picked up the small bauble. The gem was a striking blue with gray undertones and he simply had to have it- it was the same color as Cat's eyes when he was kissed her.

As he picked it up, there was a noise. He turned around, placing the stone in his pocket, and looked questioningly around him. "Did you all hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Cat replied, her head tilting. And then she was sprawled on the ground, as Fenris pushed her away.

She looked up, ready to complain, and saw the thing that floated above the ground behind him. His sword was up, but he wasn't swinging- in fact it looked as though he didn't have the energy to swing, and was about ready to collapse.

She rushed to her feet, and tackled him away from the creature, pulling him onto his back so she could see if he was all right. He was panting, and she breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Don't get too close, it will drain you!" she shouted over her shoulder. Looking down at Fenris she asked, "Are you all right?"

He nodded, and sat up, determination giving him what he needed. He stood, a little shaky, but quickly moved back into the fray, as there were more people now here, and the drew were fighting them.

Cat pulled out her crossbow and bolts, and moved into some cover behind a large stone. Arming her weapon, she glanced over the fighting, seeing who needed the help. She began tracking an elf that was moving in and out of stealth, and backstabbing her friends whenever possible.

Timing her shot, she let her bolt fly, and pegged the assassin in the ankle, causing it to scream. The sound had her flinching, as no normal being could make such a sound. She moved to load another bolt, looking now for the horrific creature that first showed, thinking that the others had to be minions of a sort.

The others had discovered this as well, and the ranged fighters focused on the thing as the melee fighters kept the minions from taking them out. Withing moments, the creature wailed, and fell over, dissipating into the earth under it. Hearing a cracking sound, the group turned to see the pristine altar with a large crack now running through its center.

"Everyone all right?" Hawke asked, looking around. "Tallis?" he called. Seeing the elf nearby, leaning on a tree but otherwise looking fine, he turned again looking for Cat. He met her eyes, and finally let out the breath he was holding. Then he noticed the appraising look she was giving him.

"Thank you for the save Fenris," he said as he moved over to the warrior. "I owe you, more than I can say." They both looked over as Cat stormed away from them.

"You would do better to tell her that," Fenris replied quietly.

"She knows what's going on," Hawke argued. "We have to play Tallis' game for now."

"That doesn't mean she isn't affected," Fenris replied. "She's been through a lot recently, and she misses you."

"Do you think __I__ am not affected?" Hawke hissed, holding in his temper. "That I __enjoy__ this? That I cannot treat her as I would like?"

"No, I am not blind," Fenris murmured, placing his hand on his friends' shoulder. "I'm saying that you would both feel better if you were to assure her of it."

"Now isn't the time," he muttered, turning back to the group. "Do we need to rest?" he asked, loudly, as he looked around. Everyone was on their feet, though Anders was healing a cut on Isabela's shoulder.

"I'm more insulted than wounded, Hawke," Isabela said disgustedly. "I can't believe that thing surprised me."

"I'm sure we'll find something to take your anger out on," he replied, and she gave him a grin. "Okay, let's head out." He looked over to where Fenris and Cat were walking, wistful, until he heard Tallis come to his side.

"I told you not to touch it," she chided him.

"Worth it," he replied with a smirk, patting the pocket on his shirt where the little gem was sitting.


	84. Chapter 84- The Wyvern Hunt the Second

Cat followed along after the group, Merrill and Fenris sticking to her like glue. She understood of course, but it still made her feel as though she were the weak link somehow. __I'm a fighter, I can handle myself,__ she would think, but then tell herself to get over it. They were just trying to protect a friend, and she would be the same if this were happening to someone else.

It wasn't very exciting at first. Hawke spoke with a hunter, who was looking for his missing dogs. Anders found the ingredients he needed to make the antidote for the wyvern poison, and Aveline found a half naked man wandering around claiming to be a scholar. Hawke spoke with him for a bit, before the man ran off, all excited about something.

Around another ridge, they were attacked by a pair of dragons and a few dragonlings. Nothing too big, but mature dragons nonetheless. After they fell, Hawke began questioning why they had been told that dragons didn't live on this mountain, and Tallis explained that wyverns and dragons didn't exactly get along, so they most likely were trying to find territory, not living there.

Hawke had them grab a few pieces and blood from the dragons to add to their wyvern lure, and the group set out once again. As they walked, they avoided the other hunters that they came across, but when they heard screaming, Hawke went charging over.

Since Cat was in the middle, she didn't see much at first, and the fight they had was pretty quick. She looked around, trying to understand what had happened.

"Ghasts," Tallis said, as she searched the body in front of her. "Cave dwellers, and they can get pretty nasty."

"So we see," Isabela replied. "Almost as bad as darkspawn, surrounding you before you even know what happened."

"You… have experience with darkspawn?" Tallis asked, surprised.

Isabela merely smiled, giving her a secretive look.

"Well, shall we keep going?" Aveline hastily asked Hawke.

"Nothing we can do for them now, poor bastards," Hawke replied, and he turned around and started walking back the way they came in.

Around another bend, they stopped- listening to the sounds that were coming from the forest. "Is that wyverns mating?" Tallis asked, though no one knew the answer.

"Could we mimic that?" Anders asked.

"No," Tallis replied quickly.

"I meant the sound," Anders said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh. Good idea," Tallis responded, looking embarrassed.

Cat broke the tension by trying to mimic the call, which came out like a strangled roar. "Sorry Kitty, it'll have to be someone else," Isabela said as the others laughed. "Reminds me a little of your bird call."

Eventually they came to a fork in the path, and Hawke looked around. "Anyone have a preference?" he asked. "East or West?"

 _"_ _ _East__ , _"_ Cat muttered to herself. Merrill and Fenris both heard her, and repeated it loudly.

"East it is," Hawke said, happy that Fenris and Merrill agreed on something, and he led the group onward. Before long, they came to a small pond, and he stopped. "Pretty country up here," he commented.

"The Monfort family inherited this mountain from some Nevarran dragon hunters," Tallis replied. "Though that may be the wrong word. What's the word for killing people so you can take all their stuff?"

"Fun," Isabela replied, pretending not to notice as the others glanced at her warily. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

"It sounds like barking," Anders replied, moving towards the sound. "This way."

They followed after him, eventually finding a dog, who then led them to another that was lying on the ground and whimpering. After a quick look, Tallis declared it wyvern poison, and Anders gave the dog some of his newly made antidote.

Hawke, wanting to continue on, and wanting to get the dog back to its owner, looked uncertain. Anders was quick to see through it, and volunteered to take the dogs back. Cat offered to go as well, but Hawke shut that down quickly, asking Isabela, Aveline and Sebastian to accompany him instead.

"It's not like I would have been in danger," Cat muttered, as Isabela came to her.

"Now Kitty," Isabela said quietly, her smirk ever present. "You know Hawke will worry horribly if he can't see you."

"Oh really," Cat replied dryly. "Tallis will be more than happy to keep him occupied."

"You know he's just playing the game," Isabela said more seriously. "And he's grumpy because he has to keep up this act." Cat rolled her eyes, but Isabela continued, in a louder voice. "Just make the trail, Kitty," she said. "We want to be able to find you again."

"No problem," Cat replied. "Though you should hurry so you don't miss the action."

Isabela nodded, and with a wink, the smaller group broke off, taking the hounds with them.

"All right, let's keep moving," Hawke said, gesturing to the others and leading the way.

Hearing a roar, they paused, looking around. "Well, looks like we came the right way," Hawke said quietly. "Do you think we have enough to lure one out?" he asked Tallis.

She thought for a moment. "I'm sure we do. In the right spot, certainly."

"A little one or big one though?" Varric asked. "I thought we were going for a big one." He turned to give Cat a wink.

"That's right," she replied. "We don't want to settle."

"Well, the object is to finish the hunt and get into the keep," Tallis said. "And that means a wyvern, no matter the size. Any wyvern will do."

Cat noted that her words weren't really matching her tone, and she had to wonder if Tallis wanted to get a big wyvern too. Varric must have felt the same way because he questioned her.

"Come on Shivs, you can't tell me that you'd be perfectly happy settling for less than the best."

"Shivs?" Tallis asked.

"Yeah, Shivs," Varric answered.

"Well…" Tallis replied, looking around, and then she smiled. "You've got me there. Bringing back a big one __would__ be the icing on the cake."

"I knew it!" Varric crowed. "Well then, lets find some more bait, huh?"

She smiled at him again, and turned to follow Hawke. Cat followed suit, happy that Varric was knocking a few of those walls down. Hawke could use the help to get her trust.

After walking around the large pond, Cat marking a trail as they went, they came across a huge pile of steaming waste.

"Shi-"

"Yes, we know Varric," Cat interrupted him. "We can all see, and smell it."

"We should probably look in it for clues," Hawke said, and everyone else took a couple steps back. He looked up with a roll of his eyes. "Nice, very nice." He reached for the pile, when Cat stopped him.

"Hawke? Maybe push up your sleeves? You can wash in the pond there after, but it'll be hard to get it off your armor."

"Good idea," he said with a smile, and took off his arm guards, handing them to her, and pushing the sleeves of his tunic up his arms. "All right, looking for clues." He didn't hesitate and pushed his hands in up to his elbows.

"Ugh," Cat said as she stepped back. The five of them stepped back even more as Hawke pushed some of the dung over to spread it out.

Tallis was the first to step closer, looking at the pieces that were being spread out. "Are those… nug bones?" she asked. "Do wyverns eat nugs?" She looked around at the others' shrugs. "I wonder if a nug call would help lure one out."

Hawke, satisfied that there was nothing left to find, stood up. "You know a nug call?" he asked skeptically.

"You went elbow deep in wyvern dung, and I'm the weird one?" she replied. They smiled at each other, and Hawke moved to the water to wash off. Once finished he pulled down his sleeves and went back to Cat for his guards.

"All right then, let's keep going," he said, leading the way up the mountain.

Cat continued to mark the trail, as they moved up the hill. They came across several more piles of muck, as well as skeletons and half eaten remains.

"Some of those, look human," Varric said as they passed what looked like a regurgitated pile of bones, flesh and clothing.

"Probably are," Tallis replied. "Wvyerns aren't exactly picky, from what I've seen."

"Couldn't we just bait one by shouting then?" Cat asked.

Tallis looked back, trying to determine if she was being serious or making fun. She opted from her expression, it was the former. "Maybe, but not guaranteed. Humans hunt them after all, and the wyvern wouldn't be certain of victory like they could with an animal."

Cat nodded, "Makes sense," she replied. Tallis looked a moment more, still unsure of her, but eventually turned back.

"Do you hear that?" Hawke asked, and the group stopped to listen.

"I don't hear anything," Merrill stated.

"That's the problem," Tallis replied, more quietly. "No birds, no nothing. And the trail suggests wyverns just love this place to bits."

"Let's find a good spot to lure one out then," Hawke said, his voice also quiet. "Come on."

The group moved on again, Cat every so often marking the way for the others as they slowly moved ahead. After several twists and turns on the path, they came into a large clearing, and both Hawke and Tallis stopped.

"This will work nicely," Tallis said. "We can lure one out, and have enough room to kill it without getting sat on. They're not stupid though, we'll need really good bait."

"Let's see what we've got," Hawke said, and the others began pulling things out of their bags.

"Dragon hide, and blood," Fenris said, as he laid them down.

"Wyvern blood," Varric added a flask to the pile.

"And the nug call…" Tallis thought aloud. "More than enough. We may end up with a bigger wyvern than we can handle."

"Don't forget the mating call we heard earlier," Cat said with a smirk, ignoring her last remark. "Though if I heard and smelled all this together, I'd think a wvyern was calling for a mate after a fight with a dragon while chasing a nug."

"That would be a sight, wouldn't it," Varric said with a laugh.

"Well…" Tallis thought. "We __could__ do it in stages I suppose."

"What do you mean?" Hawke asked.

"We could put the wyvern blood on the perimeter, and give the mating call a couple of times. Then I'll use the dragon's blood and the nug call and move around on this side."

"So it seems like live bait, not just blood laying there," Cat supplied as she understood.

"Exactly."

"Let's do it," Hawke said with a grin. "We'll get the biggest, ugliest brute we can." He directed everyone to positions, and then asked, "Wait, who's doing the mating call?"

"Uh, I can do that," Merrill said sheepishly. "But I may not get it exactly…"

"Just do your best Merrill," Hawke replied with a grin. "And you'd better come stand over here."

"Okay," she said, moving from Cat's side. "Fenris, keep Cat safe," she said as she moved.

"I can keep myself safe, Merrill," Cat said sternly.

"Of course you can," she replied without looking back, and Cat grunted.

"We know you can," Fenris said quietly. "We just want to help. Don't pout," he ordered, and she glared at him, hastily removing her frown from her face.

"I'm not pouting."

"Mm-hmm," he agreed skeptically. "Think this will work?" he asked.

"Most definitely," she replied. "Watch out for its poison, it'll spit it at us."

They stopped talking after that, watching the clearing as Merrill made her calls, moving from one side to the other before taking her place behind cover. Then Tallis moved into the center of the clearing, her face and arms covered in the blood.

She began jumping all around and making the most ungodly cacophony that Cat had ever heard, and she wondered if nugs actually sounded like that.

They all heard the cracking of tree branches, and stiffened, even as Tallis came to a stop, looking up. She moved just as the huge wyvern jumped from the tree line into the clearing, and threw up its head and roared at them.

"Attack!" Hawke called as he threw a spell at it. Fenris moved out, streaking forward in a blurred line to slash at the beast. He didn't stay still, constantly moving as he slashed again and again.

Cat moved to a higher rock taking her time to make her bolts count. Tallis moved in and out, rolling in to slash at its legs, and rolling away before it could stomp on her. And Merrill concentrated on using her nature spells, trying to keep the wyvern from being able to move.

The wyvern's hide was tough, and several of Cat's bolts were knocked away. She heard Varric yell out about getting at its underbelly, and she replied in agreement. It was rough shooting, as she would aim for the inside of its legs, and then have to hold back when Fenris or Tallis would appear.

The wyvern itself didn't stay put, it moved after Hawke and Merrill, finding the spells the most annoying. It even moved for Varric and Cat a couple of times, and he would perform one of his acrobatic flips to move out of the way, while she merely rolled away.

Cat was surprised at how easy it was to evade the wyvern, like she somehow was much faster than the beast. It wasn't until she moved again, that she saw her amulet glowing slightly and she realized she was being given help.

Smiling, she made it her job to bait the wyvern, dodging when it would target her, but giving the others a chance to strike it while it focused on her. She would move to the other side of the clearing before calling out to the wyvern again, aiming for its face with her bolts.

She could hear Hawke yelling at her, but since he was just telling her to stop, she ignored him. She dodged the wyvern again, and made a break for the other side of the clearing.

Hawke grabbed her as she moved past him, and he practically growled in her face. "What do you think you are doing?!" he shouted. "Get up high, and stay out of its way!"

"I'm can handle it!" she yelled back, pulling herself free from his hold. "Don't-" she stopped as she saw the wyvern notice them. "Move!" she pushed him away, backing up. "Hey ugly! Over here!" she called, moving quickly away from Hawke.

The wyvern looked at her, but then focused back on Hawke. Her crossbow wasn't loaded, and she didn't have time to think, she just moved. She ran for the beast, and pulling out a dagger, she slammed it into its foreleg. "Move Hawke!" she shouted, as she moved, the creature roared in pain and anger.

The wyvern whipped around, smacking Cat with its head, and throwing her across the ground. She shook her head, trying to stand, hearing the wyvern preparing to spit at her. Something crossed her vision, pulling her back down, as she heard the yelling, and she struggled to focus.

"Aveline?" she asked, surprised, as she finally realized who was blocking her.

"Stay still, it may still target us," the redhead answered, holding her shield out in protection of both of them, as she crouched in front of Cat.

"Good timing," Cat said with a grin and a chuckle.

"We hurried," Aveline replied. "We didn't want to miss anything." She looked around her shield, noting the wyvern was being kept busy by Tallis and Isabela moving around it. "Let's go," she said, helping Cat to her feet.

"I'm good," Cat said. "Let's finish this thing."

Aveline nodded, and moved forward towards the beast. Cat pulled out two more daggers, and headed around to Aveline's right. Soon enough, the beast was surrounded, with spells and arrows coming from between the warriors and rouges that were attacking it head on.

The wyvern fought desperately, giving a large roar, and Aveline thrust her sword upward, cutting up through its jaw and into its brain. She was barely able to pull her sword free and move as the wyvern collapsed, practically on top of her.

Not long after, so did the fighters.

"Well," Hawke said, looking over to Aveline. "Glad you all could make it."

"You know if you had just waited a couple of minutes, we would have been here for the whole thing," Anders said. "Any of you reckless people need healing?" he asked loudly.

He moved over to Tallis and Isabela, who were sporting a few burns from the poison, and helped tend them.

Hawke stood, and moved over to Cat, glaring down at her. "I think you and I need to have a talk about being reckless," he said stonily.

"I wasn't being reckless," Cat replied, pulling her amulet up so he could see it clearly. "I had help."

"Regardless," Hawke said dismissively. "You had no right to put yourself in danger like that."

"Whoa," Cat said, holding out a hand. "If anyone has the right to put me in danger, it's myself. I'm a big girl, and I can make my own decisions."

"Obviously not, since all the ones you've been making are horrible," he shot back, and she stood up, her voice frozen with her anger.

"You don't have a say in my decisions," she replied.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Ferelden turnip!" a voice boomed from across the clearing. The group turned, seeing an armored Orlesian, followed by several soldiers marching towards them.

Hawke turned, facing the man, and stepping forward to block Cat as the man continued. "They say you are the Champion of some backwater city in the East. Quite the achievement, I'm sure." Hawke muddled through what he was saying, his accent so thick the words didn't sound like they should have.

The others kept their movement slow, but Cat could tell they were all on alert as they moved to stand behind Hawke, keeping distance and zeroing in on the armored soldiers, watching for an attack.

"I suggest you run along with your servants while you have the chance," Hawke thought the accent also made it hard to take the man's threat seriously, especially when he started throwing a tantrum. "This wyvern was __mine__ to kill, not yours! Mine, mine, mine!"

He could hear Cat snicker behind him, but he simply watched the man with disinterest.

"I paid good coin to be the one to win this contest! It was my turn!"

Hawke could be reasonable. He could even be kind, and in most circumstances he preferred to be. But he was ready to throttle Cat for putting herself in danger, he was constantly on edge and frustrated from playing this idiotic game with Tallis, and the man barged in and called him a turnip. He wasn't even going to try to play nice anymore.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hawke replied, his voice dripping sarcasm. "I didn't realize the duke offered charity to his more useless guests. My mistake."

The man became even more affronted. "I will not accept such talk from a backwater mongrel!"

Tallis stepped forward, "You do realize Hawke could beat you like a rented mule with both hands tied behind his back?" she asked, certain her help wouldn't be taken, but she thought she should at least try to warn him away.

"A rented mule would smell better," Hawke added.

"More insolence! From a knife-ear this time!" He didn't notice through his rant that Hawke's group had shifted into fighting stance. No one would let him go now. "I can't take any more of this. Kill them all! We can say the wyvern was too much for them."

Cat threw a dagger, aiming for the Orlesian, but one of his soldiers threw himself in front of it, and fell down at his master's feet. He turned to her in shock.

"If the wyvern couldn't kill us, you certainly don't stand a chance!" Cat yelled.

"Kill them!" the baron ordered again, and the soldiers moved to attack.

Anders was quicker, performing a cone of cold and capturing them in it. Isabela, Tallis, Fenris and Aveline all moved forward quickly, around the icy wall of men to attack. Cat tried to move as well, but Hawke held her back with a snarl.

"Not this time Cat, let them handle it."

"You may not like it, Hawke, but I'm a member of your crew, which means I fight when they do," she said testily, trying to get around him. He turned, gripping her shoulders.

"Yes, you're a member of __my__ crew, which means you follow __my__ orders!" he shot back.

"Oh?" she answered, as the fight continued around them. "And are you treating your crew fairly, Hawke? I don't see you trying to keep Merrill or Isabela or __Tallis__ out of the fight."

He would have wanted to shiver at her icy tone, but his own frustration was burning too brightly. "Of __course__ I don't treat you the same as them!" he growled at her. "You know what you mean to me! How could I possibly treat them the same?!"

Cat turned, seeing the fighting was almost over, as the crew circled the outraged baron. "No, I don't know," Cat said quietly. "You'd better step in, unless you want them to kill him," she said, pulling away from his grip and walking over to collect her dagger from a body.

"I don't give a rat's ass what they do to him," Hawke muttered, even as he moved to pull back his crew.

They all stepped back, and sheathed their weapons. The baron stood shakily, looking around at his wounded and dead men.

The group was quiet, as they could hear the marching of footsteps, and within another minute, Duke Prosper and his men came into the clearing.

"Oho!" the duke said with a smile. "I knew I heard the sounds of a wyvern fight," he said, seeing the carcass of the beast. He looked around, seeing the two groups of people, and the quiet among them. "What has happened here?" he asked.

"Prosper," the baron began. "This bloody bastard tried to steal my rightful kill!"

The duke, knowing the baron well, looked skeptical. "Now, is that any way to speak of the Champion of Kirkwall, Baron?" he asked. Hawke gave the baron a cheeky little smile.

"This is __your__ fault!" the baron said to the duke. "For inviting a stinking turnip in the first place! Your mother would be ashamed!"

The duke looked at him curiously, as a human might look at an insect, and he laughed humorlessly. "Says the man whose mother has slept with half of Val Chevin." He turned to Hawke. "My apologies. Baron Arlange has always been a cheat. What would you have done with him?"

"You're not suggesting…" Tallis said, taken aback.

"Why not?" the duke asked. "You think Arlange would have stopped short of murder given the chance?"

"Something on your mind?" Hawke asked Tallis.

"Just let him go. He's not worth your time, Hawke," she replied.

The duke laughed, though amused this time. "My word! Such mercy!"

Cat looked at him in a new light. She had known the duke was Orlesian, and thus had to be a player of the game, but he had been so kind to her, and it was enlightening to see just where Cyril had gotten his attitude.

"He can't be more than he is," Tallis said, as if quoting something. "You've bested him."

Hawke nodded, and turned to the duke. "It's your home, and your game. I only came to hunt wyvern, not men. Do what you want."

The duke was even more amused at that, and turned to the baron. "You hear that Arlange? It behooves you to leave while you still can."

"I…" he started, then gazed around again. "Fine! I will go." He stormed off, kicking one of his wounded men on the way.

"What a piece of work," Cat heard Anders say.

"Congratulations on finding the wyvern!" the duke said, approaching Hawke. He glanced over to the beast. "It looks like quite the specimen! I will have my men haul it back to the chateau for you."

"Thank you, your grace," Hawke replied.

"I am merely giving you a reprieve," the duke said with a twinkle in his eye. "For now we must get ready to celebrate! And you will come to regret your kill once you have been asked the story so many times, I am certain." He laughed at Hawke's expression, and clapped him on the back.

"Come! Let me escort you back!" the duke moved forward, signaling his men to take care of the slain wyvern. He found his way to Cat, and remarking on her armor, and the state of it from the small splashes of poison, he offered his arm, and she took it.

Hawke watched them leave, giving a nod of the others to go, and he took up the rear, trying to let go of his frustration and hurt. He rubbed his hand over his chest, wondering how long he could continue this- it was as if he was cutting himself to pieces.

* * *

Cat didn't speak as the ladies got dressed for the celebration. It was more of a lunchtime party, so she was glad she didn't have to deck herself out, but unfortunately she still had to wear a dress.

As they each left her for the main room, Cat sat on the bed, deep in thought. She knew that she was making things more difficult for Hawke, and she had told herself not to, but she couldn't seem to NOT fight with him whenever he started on her.

She knew he cared, yes. He wanted her safe and protected, and yes, she knew he simply wanted her, though he hadn't been acting like it. Having Tallis in the mix had to be frustrating for him as well. __But, just because he's having a hard time, doesn't make my own any less difficult…__ she thought.

Looking around the room, she sighed. She turned thirty today, if her calculations were correct. She had been in Thedas for five years… and accepted long ago that this was now her home- her new reality. There were still times however, that thoughts of home and family would swamp her.

She tried not to dwell on it, especially because of how frightening it could be. Like when she would try to remember faces- of her nieces and nephews or friends- and couldn't. Or missing the feeling of a hot shower, or silly things like ice cream or music.

 _ _Snap out of it,__ she told herself. Moving over to the table, she put her hands in the bowl of water and washed her face quickly. __We've got things to do, and no time to spend moping in here.__

Determined, Cat dried off her face and moved to the door to join her crew.


	85. Chapter 85

**A/N:** Sorry for the week with no chapter, and here's another one to make up for it. I had a pretty bad case of writer's block, but I think I am good now. Just went back and played this DLC for some inspiration, which of course was fun! If you haven't played it, you should!

* * *

They were escorted to the gardens behind the chateau, where most of the guests were already in full Orlesian party mode. Small groups littered the gardens, where the nobles gathered to talk to each other and insult those around them.

Cat and Hawke had both assumed they would be going together, but Tallis quickly squashed that, saying that they would create too much attention if they did. __Apparently, the nobles barely spent time with their spouses,__ Cat thought with disdain. __Though, if I were in an arranged marriage, I suppose I could understand.__

They solved the problem in their own way, arriving together and immediately separating into pairs, so that they could find an easy way back into the chateau. Cat found herself walking through the gardens with Aveline, as the guard captain wanted nothing to do with stealing the gem.

"So Cat, you've been rather morose since we teamed up with Tallis. Are you handling it all okay?" she asked in concern.

"Yes, I think so," Cat replied. "It's not ideal, but we all know our part."

Aveline glanced at her, hearing the difference between her words and her feelings. "It will all be over soon," she replied. "I for one, will be glad to see the last of her."

Cat looked over at her friend and gave a small smile. "When I actually think about it, I kind of feel sorry for her," she admitted. "When this is done, I still have all of you, and she won't. I'm trying to remember that."

"I suppose," Aveline responded. She continued to move around the garden with Cat, wondering what to say.

 _"_ _ _Isn't that the Champion's lady?"__

 _"_ _ _Easy to see why her pulled her from obscurity, isn't it?"__

 _"_ _ _I hear she didn't even make him marry her before… well, you know. She'd better hurry unless she wants a bastard for a child."__

Aveline was about to turn furiously, before Cat put her own hand on her arm to stop her. "Don't listen Aveline, it's nothing."

"Cat, I'm not going to stand here and listen to someone speak of one of my friends that way," Aveline said quietly, her anger making her voice lower than normal.

"It's all they know how to do," Cat replied, just as quietly. "They feel better about themselves by tearing others down. Reacting to it, even to deny it, merely gives them fuel."

"It isn't true… right?" Aveline asked, feeling embarrassed as Cat turned to smirk at her. "The pregnancy?"

Cat chuckled, and led her away towards a large fountain. "No. One would have to have sex in order to get pregnant." She smiled at Aveline's expression, and shook her head. "The rumor started when Leandra and I needed to escape a dressmaker without insulting her, so I feigned being sick."

"Ah," Aveline said sheepishly. "Back before the banquet. I had heard about that. She claimed to have a part in that beautiful dress you wore."

"Did she," Cat responded, gazing at the water. "I'll have to let Leandra know. I'm sure she'll be able to set her story straight." She glanced back up to Aveline. "When I don't start showing a belly soon, they will all forget the rumor," she said with a smile.

Aveline returned the smile, then froze, catching sight of the approaching man. "Seems you made quite the impression on Lord Cyril," she said quietly as a heads up.

"My lady Catarina," Cyril said from behind her, causing Cat to turn with a false smile. "I was hoping to catch you alone."

"Hardly alone, my lord," she replied. "This is Aveline, the guard captain of Kirkwall and close friend of mine."

"Of course," he said, without looking away, or acknowledging Aveline. "Come, I'll introduce you around to those worth meeting." He gave her a pointed look. "I'll be sure to include those with interests in your city," he added.

"Aveline, I'll… uh, find you later?" Cat said, and the guard captain nodded.

"I believe I will join up with Varric," she replied, and headed off in quick, determined strides.

"This way, my lady," Cyril said, offering his arm, which she didn't take. He moved quickly to grab hers anyway, bringing it to loop under his as he led her to the nearest group.

"Lord Cyril, how lovely for you to join us," a woman said as they walked up.

"Thank you," he replied graciously. "And may I introduce the Lady Catarina, who accompanied Lord Hawke here."

"My Lady Hawke, it is a pleasure," the woman said tightly. "I am the Comtess de Van."

"Well met," Cat said with a nod. "But actually, my surname is Lewis, not Hawke."

"Oh?" she responded with a snide grin. "My apologies, Lady… Lewis."

"Think nothing of it," Cat replied, wondering how much Cyril would want her to speak.

* * *

"Guards on both doors on the western side, Hawke," Anders reported. "Not impossible, but not an easy entrance either."

"It seems Prosper is quite adamant about keeping his guests out," Hawke said with a sigh. He turned back to Tallis. "It looks like the door you spoke of is our best option."

"Yes, but as I said, I couldn't get it open," she replied. "Bent my best set of lock picks in the stupid thing."

"So we find the key," Hawke responded, agitated. "The guards know we've been staying inside, it shouldn't be too difficult to simply convince them to let us back in."

"I don't know Hawke," Fenris spoke up. "If he is this strict with his security, he may be keeping everyone out until the party's end."

"Hawke has a point," Sebastian added. "The servants must be able to get inside if needed without interrupting the host. We need only find the way."

Aveline interrupted as she pulled on Varric's coat sleeve. "Varric, I need your assistance with something," she said tightly.

"Aveline, I thought you were with Cat?" Hawke asked in surprise.

"She's still in my sights Hawke," she answered without turning. "But she asked for Varric."

"All right," he said, skeptically, and gave Varric a go ahead gesture. Varric shrugged off Aveline's hand and followed her away from the others.

"What's this all about, Aveline?" he asked, as he practically jogged to keep up with her.

"I need help," she said quietly. "Lord Cyril came and took Cat to mingle, and I could tell she didn't want to go."

"Little Dove hasn't had problems in the past getting away from men," he answered, looking up at her.

"I'm assuming she didn't want to cause a scene," Aveline replied pointedly. "Hence why I grabbed you instead of Hawke or the other two that would simply use their weapons."

"Good to know where I stand on your list," he grumbled.

"I simply figured your silver tongue could deal with these vultures," she retorted. "Was I wrong?"

"Depends," he said with a smirk. "What's the penalty for disregarding an order to drop an investigation?" he asked.

She frowned at him, knowing he was asking for his blasted story. She tried to stare him down, and when he only smiled, she sighed. "An order from the direct superior, or the guard captain?" she asked.

* * *

"Oh, no thank you my lord, I've already had plenty of wine," Cat said with a smile, while pulling away her half full glass so that he couldn't add to it. Not that it mattered, she hadn't been drinking from it. There was no way that she was going to let Cyril think he was plying her with alcohol.

He seemed frustrated with her, and she tried not to smile at his expression. __Why can't no simply mean no?__ she wondered. __Why do men here in Thedas think that means try harder?__

She stood and somewhat listened to the conversation, though she wasn't interested- but she also didn't want to miss if she was addressed. That would only cause more embarrassment and gossip for Hawke, which she knew he didn't need.

"Pardon me, messieurs and mademoiselles," a voice interrupted, and one she knew at that. She searched for its origin, and found the others looking down to Varric. "Lady Catarina, Lord Hawke asked that I come and fetch you for him," he said to her, and she quickly handed her wine to Cyril.

"It's been an absolute pleasure, but I really must be going," she said with a smile, and walked off with Varric without a second glance.

"Well… that was easier than I thought," he said, almost sounding disappointed.

"Wait, my lady!" they both turned seeing a man following after them, and stopped to let him catch them. "My lady, the scandal! You should return to Lord Cyril at once, before he takes this as the grave insult it was!"

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, confused.

"You were being toured by the host of the party!" he said, appalled at her behavior and speaking in soft tones that were still somehow in exclamation. "Lord Hawke is showing his ignorance by asking for you, but if you were to leave, it would be as if spitting on Duke Prosper himself!"

Cat glanced down at Varric, her eyes asking if it was true, and he responded in a shrug. Heaving a tremendous sigh, she spoke. "Varric, please inform Lord Hawke of this occurrence. Thank goodness we had the fortuity of others that would help us to stay in good graces."

He nodded to her, watching as she walked back to Cyril, who not only smirked, but then smiled widely while she apologized and asked his forgiveness. Varric turned and left, deciding that finding Hawke was the best solution to the current dilemma.

"What happened?" Aveline asked as he came back without Cat.

"Nobles, and their social codes," he muttered as he passed her. "Come on, it's time to get the weapons."

* * *

To say Cat was surprised when Tallis came up to their group was an understatement. It took all of her willpower not to smile when Tallis told them of an important message, and how she would return the lady to Cyril as soon as it was delivered.

Knowing that Tallis knew more about the nobles then she did, and the fact that Cat could not have cared less if she became a social pariah- she followed Tallis away with a sigh of relief.

They didn't go far, just around the corner and towards some tall bushes, when Tallis spun around and began talking to Cat in quiet tones.

 _"_ _ _We have an entrance, but we can't get in without the key. The key that Cyril has. And you're the one with easiest access."__

Cat looked at her in shock. _"_ _ _And what?! You want me to pickpocket him? I'm not good enough for that!"__ she hissed quietly.

 _"_ _ _I don't care how you do it,"__ Tallis replied, her face set in stone. _"_ _ _Though it would seem obvious to seduce him."__

Cat made a face like she would be sick. _"_ _ _Not worth all the jewels in the world,"__ she shot back.

Tallis rolled her eyes, and leaned closer. " _ _So pretend you're going to, and knock him out,"__ she offered.

Cat narrowed her own eyes at the elf. _"_ _ _And when he wakes up? If I were to knock him out or drug him, they'd probably arrest or kill me while you are off hunting for your treasure!"__

Tallis looked unimpressed, but Cat held her hand up, thinking furiously. _"_ _ _Here's the plan. I'll get him alone, and… ugh, get the key. You send someone in looking for me, preferably Fenris, after a minute and he gets me out- with the key. Cyril thinks we were merely interrupted, you get the key, and Fenris keeps me away from Cyril after that. Everyone wins. Well, except Cyril- he loses."__

Tallis smiled. "See, I knew you would come around," she said as she pulled Cat to take her back. As they turned the corner, they stopped before running over another woman.

"Oh, my apologies," she said, looking at them and giving a small curtsy. "I- - Tallis?" she said, her eyes going wide.

"Leliana! It's so… lovely to see you again," Tallis replied, and Cat could tell her back was up. Seeing that Leliana didn't use her name, or acknowledge her, she decided to play along.

"You look stunning this evening! And your hair is darling! Did you do it yourself?" Leliana asked.

"You two have met before?" Cat asked Tallis innocently.

"Oh yes, briefly," Tallis answered.

"You meet all sorts of people in Orlais," Leliana added with a charming smile, and Cat returned it, enjoying the twinkle in her eye. "It keeps life exciting!"

"Well don't be rude Tallis, introduce me," Cat said with a nudge.

"Leliana, this is the Lady Catarina, here with Lord Hawke," Tallis said in monotone. "That's Leliana."

Both looked at Tallis in amusement before looking back at the other. "A pleasure," Cat said. "I'm afraid I must return to Lord Cyril, or I would stay and chat."

"Do not worry, I am sure we will meet again," Leliana said, with a nod. "There are so many events, it will be hard not to."

"Nice to have met you," Cat said as Tallis grabbed her arm and pulled her away, and she heard Leli's quiet giggle. "What's the hurry?" Cat asked Tallis, pulling back her arm. "Is there trouble between the two of you?" she asked.

"Of course not," Tallis clipped her words short. "But we're kind of in a hurry here."

Cat looked up as she found herself back to Cyril already. She didn't know if she was ready for this, __but it's just like being back on the Siren's Call, and all the trouble Issy was always getting us into. I pretended to seduce men then, and I can do it now. Just gotta think like Issy.__

"I apologize my lord," Cat said as she put her arm in Cyril's. He nodded and leaned in.

"Was there a problem?" he asked quietly.

"No, no problem," she replied in hushed tones, thinking quickly. "Hawke merely wanted me to know he was taking Fenris for a bit. I let him know I would be perfectly safe here with you."

Cyril stood back up, and glancing to her side, she could see the corners of his mouth turning up. He went to hand her back her wine, and she took advantage.

"I'm sorry my lord, but I shouldn't have any more. It has already gone to my head I fear."

"Oh?" he asked, sounding concerned, though he turned to face her with shining eyes. "Would you like to sit down inside for a moment or two my lady?" he asked chivalrously. "I would be honored to escort you."

"Oh… uh, perhaps that would be best," she answered, making her voice sound faint yet warm. She moved her other hand to his upper arm. "I would be __very__ grateful."

Cyril gave nods to those around them and escorted her away with little fuss. She forced herself to titter and giggle a bit, but not enough to draw attention to herself. Just enough to give Cyril the idea that he had finally gotten what he wanted.

If she knew anything about him, he would revel in his success, and not be aware of her true objective. Now she just hoped that she could get the key away from him while still playing hard to get. She had no desire to pretend to give in to him, but would if she had to. What was letting some pompous, wanna-be player slobber on her anyway? __Maker please let me get the key before that,__ she thought desperately.

* * *

Fenris left Merrill speaking to an elven servant, and walked up to Hawke. He had been stationary for some time now, and alone, and with the looks between the members of their crew, Fenris thought everyone was wondering when the plan was going to start.

"Hawke," he said lowly as he approached.

"Fenris," Hawke replied, drinking deeply from his glass of wine. "It seems the duke was right. Everyone- _literally _everyone-__ is insistent on hearing about the wyvern hunt. This is the first breather I've had all afternoon."

He turned to look at his friend, noting that while Fenris kept a bored look on his face, he was definitely not enjoying himself. "Where is everyone?" he asked.

Fenris glanced at him, then looked back out at the crowd. "Isabela and Anders are moving around the keep, trying to find an alternate route in, preferably one the duke is not aware of. I left Merrill speaking with a servant from the kitchens, so that we have a way in when needed, as we can blend in by grabbing a tray."

Hawke nodded along as he spoke. "Varric and Sebastian are speaking with the guests, keeping anyone that is asking for you entertained with stories or gossip. And Aveline is speaking with the guards, asking questions of how they do things so she can implement good ideas back home- but is actually learning their routines. Though it is now her turn to keep an eye on Cat."

"Tallis has Cat right now," Hawke replied, and Fenris tensed. "After getting the run around, we were informed that Cyril has the key we need, so Tallis is using Cat's proximity as an excuse to get closer and steal the key. She should be back soon."

"And what have we found out about her?" Fenris asked, his eyes now scanning the courtyard for his friend, or Cyril. "Do we even know if the duke has this jewel she was speaking of?" he asked.

"Not yet, and I will freely admit that that is grating on me," Hawke muttered. "Something is telling me that it is important, but it's becoming more and more of a hassle."

"There is Tallis," Fenris said gesturing with his head. "I don't see Cat or Cyril."

Tallis looked over at that moment, and seeing both of them, she smiled and moved in their direction. Fenris noted that she didn't look around, and she didn't seem to be keeping an eye on anyone besides Hawke.

"Tallis," Hawke said as she arrived. "Where is Cat?"

Tallis gave a smile and stepped up in front of them, leaning in and speaking softly. "She's getting the key."

"I thought that was __your__ job," Fenris muttered. "Where is she?"

"I wasn't able to," Tallis admitted sourly. "So I told Cat to use Cyril's obvious affection for her and get it." She looked at Fenris. "She said give her five minutes, and come looking for her, to interrupt them and get her away, so he won't be suspicious."

Fenris stared at the other elf, feeling uneasy as she spoke. "Where!" he demanded, seeing her jump slightly.

"There," she said, gesturing. "At the end there, where the guard is standing? There's a door leading to a small sitting room. They're in there."

"Fenris-" Hawke started to ask what the problem was even as the elf strode away purposefully.

"What's his problem?" Tallis asked.

"I'm not sure," Hawke replied. "What exactly is Cat doing Tallis?" he asked, as he turned back to her.

"I'm not certain, but she said something about distracting him?" she answered innocently. "I asked for her help, and she said she had a plan, and to send Fenris after her. That's all I know."

"Something doesn't feel right," he mumbled to himself.

"Hawke? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Just a bad feeling," he said, looking around.

* * *

"I'm looking for my mistress," Fenris began as the guard stepped in front of him. He turned to glare at the guard, who stepped back in fear. "Move."

"Lo- Lord Cyril said that no one was to disturb him," the guard stuttered hesitantly, and Fenris stepped closer.

"Move," he said again, though he knew he was putting all his hostility into it, and would probably make the man wet himself- though he found he didn't care. The guard trembled, and gave a whimper before moving quickly as far away as he could.

Fenris wanted to kick in the door, but he forced himself to take a deep breath before opening it. __Cat can take care of herself…. Cat can take care of herself…__ he recited, as he stepped inside the room.

And stopped short, staring at the scene in front of him.

Cat indeed, could take care of herself, as the duke's son was laying on the floor. Fenris couldn't tell if he was out cold or dead, though he looked as if he were simply knocked out. He heard retching, and moved over to Cat's hunched form on the other side of the room.

"Cat?" he asked quietly, and she whirled her head around. He could see the tear marks on her face, her red and puffy eyes, and his anger came back, full force. "What did he do?!" he demanded, reaching her quickly.

"Nothing… nothing," Cat said, shaking her head and yet grabbing on to him as if he were her lifeline. "I'm fine, everything's fine." She looked back over to Cyril. "Well until he wakes up, anyway." She gave him a shaky smile.

"Let's get you out of here," he said, helping her stand.

"Thanks," she said, and he could tell she was steeling herself. "I'd really like to leave. In fact, I wish we could just go home," she said with a depreciating laugh. "Here," she added, handing him a simple key. "Give this to Tallis. I need to walk a bit."

"Cat, I'm not leaving you alone like this," he said, and she turned to him, her face set in stern lines.

"I said I'm fine, and I can take care of myself. Right now, Hawke needs you, not me."

She softened slightly, seeing him reel back from her words like a slap. "I appreciate you trying to save me and take care of me all the time Fen, I really do. You're an amazing friend. But I need you to take that key to Hawke, right now."

She stepped around him and directly onto Cyril as she passed him before going to the door. "I'm going to go back to the party," she said as she grabbed a cloak that was hanging by the door, and hastily put it on before opening the door and stepping out.

Fenris looked down at the prone form of the lord, wanting to give him a few kicks, but uncertain if it would come back on her. He hadn't missed that her hair was down and snarled, or the tear in her dress that she covered with the cloak.

He knew he could have Hawke's unholy wrath brought down on the man with just a few words, but the way that Cat had slapped him back had him rethinking. She obviously wanted to let it go, and handle it herself. He didn't agree, but she had a point… they had been constantly deciding things for her, and perhaps this time- - she could decide for herself.

He stepped out of the room, and made his way to Hawke, handing over the key. He overrode Hawke's questions and concern, and got him moving along with Tallis before he started gathering the others. This development would change things, and they would be ready.

* * *

"Aveline?" Fenris asked, surprised. "I thought you were watching Cat?"

"No, it's Varric and Sebastian's turn," she replied. "And, I have bad news," she added. "The duke just took most of his soldiers into the keep. They kept it as quiet as they could, but there was no mistaking that much movement." She looked up at him in concern. "Do you think Hawke was caught?"

"I don't know," Fenris replied. "But I'm certain we'll hear something soon if so."

"What's happening?" Varric asked, as he and Sebastian came near. "You look very worried over here."

"I thought you two were watching Cat?" Aveline asked him.

"Daisy's turn," Varric replied. "What's going on?"

Aveline repeated her report and both of them frowned. "If he had been caught, I think there would be much more noise," Sebastian stated. "It sounds more like the duke has gotten word that someone would try to steal from him. Why else bring that many soldiers for only two people?"

"One is a mage, Choir Boy, but I see your point."

"Oh good, you all are here," Anders said as he and Isabela joined them in a rush. "We've got bad news."

"We know, Blondie, the soldiers," Varric replied.

"Soldiers?" Anders said, looking at them in confusion. "No, I'm talking about the Crows."

"Crows?" the other four asked at once.

"Crows," Isabela confirmed. "We couldn't tell if they were in the Keep, but we found a group of them preparing to climb the wall. It was a miracle we weren't seen."

"Andraste's tits, are you sure?" Varric asked, the worry now shared by all of them.

"What's this about soldiers?" Isabela asked.

"Bad news," Merrill said as she moved in among them.

"Wait, Daisy! I thought you were watching Cat?!" Varric cried quietly, and the others all tensed.

"Was it my turn?" Merrill asked with a gasp as her hands flew to her mouth. "But, I was talking to the servants!"

"If your bad news isn't about Kitty, what is it?" Isabela demanded.

"Hawke. Apparently, he and Tallis were caught, and are in the dungeon."

The group was silent for a moment, and Varric mumbled, "Well… shit."

"Let me get this straight," Aveline said, taking control. "The duke took most of his soldiers into the Keep, catching Hawke and Tallis and putting them in the dungeons. We discovered the Crows are also here, while no one was watching Cat, and we don't know where she is? Does that about cover it?!"

"This plan has gone very wrong," Sebastian said softly.

"Merrill, can you get some of us into the Keep through the kitchens?" Fenris asked, and Merrill nodded.

"The less the better, but I can do two separate runs if needed," she answered.

"Yes, do that," he nodded, looking out at the others. "Anders, Varric, and Aveline- you three head for the dungeons, and rescue Hawke, and then stick with him. Merrill, you and Sebastian go to our rooms- take only the important things. What we need in order to get away, and try not to make it obvious that you were there."

He watched as they all nodded at him. "Isabela and I will find Cat. We'll all meet up…" he glanced around in front of him, out and over the walls. "There. Those old ruins, see them?" he said, gesturing, and they each glanced over.

"Do what you need to do, and head there. Stay there, but hidden until we all get there, and then we'll head back home. I think we've all had enough of this place."

He looked around, their faces showing the same determination that he felt. "We're not leaving without Hawke and Cat, so let's go get them back."


	86. Chapter 86- The Split

Cat did the only thing she could think of, and hid. Cyril wouldn't be out long she was certain, and when he came to, he would be looking for her.

 _ _Don't think about it,__ she told herself. She couldn't afford to be sick right now, hidden among the large bushes that were lining the courtyard. Someone- anyone! could hear her if she started puking.

Tears tracked down her face, and she willed them away. She didn't have the time to cry, she needed to harden herself, think only of her friends and getting them all out of here in one piece.

 _ _Why did I even want to come here?__ she asked herself. __Why couldn't I just have been happy to spend time with them at home?!__

It was easy to blame everything on the Crows, or Hawke being Champion, or all the other complications that had been happening off and on, but realistically, she couldn't do that. Everyone had problems, but those that were happy found a way to be happy despite their problems, not by getting rid of them.

Hearing Cyril's angry voice asking if anyone had seen her, had Cat inching back deeper into the bushes, enough so that she found herself at the wall of the gardens. She looked up, and seeing that they weren't too tall to scale, she waited. Once the others moved away, she'd make her escape, and somehow find her crew.

 _"_ _ _Hello, darling,"__ she heard, freezing in place. Her head slowly moved to her right, her breath releasing in a rush as she saw the grinning face.

 _"_ _ _What are you doing here, Leli?"__ she asked quietly. Hearing people moving quickly around the courtyard, both of them peeked through the bushes.

 _"_ _ _Oh? I merely had to see what you were up to in here,"__ Leliana continued. _"_ _ _I've never known you to be a master of intrigue after all, and I was simply dying of curiosity."__

 _"_ _ _I'm not a master of intrigue,"__ Cat muttered.

 _"_ _ _And then to see you with Tallis…"__ Leliana continued, even as she scanned the people before them. _"_ _ _Quickly… now!"__ she hissed, pulling Cat with her as she stood, and both of them rapidly scaled the wall. "Do you even know anything about her?" she continued, softly but no longer in whispers once they were on the other side.

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Cat answered dryly. "I know who she is, and why she is here."

"And yet you are helping her?" Leliana asked, her eyebrow up in surprise. "Ah… so your man does not know. Come on, this way," she said as she led Cat toward the cover of the trees.

Cat looked around, wondering where to go when her eyes caught sight of the ruins. "I don't know what everyone else is up to, but I had better go to those ruins. Everyone will end up there eventually."

"Very well," Leliana said, and they moved quickly into the trees before changing directions.

However, once they reached the cover, they each turned and embraced the other.

"It's so good to see you again, my friend," Leliana said gently. "It has been too long."

"I've __really__ missed you," Cat replied, not wanting to let go.

"You look beautiful, as always," she said, pulling back to look at Cat. "Yet, much more sure of yourself."

"I've had good teachers," Cat replied with a smile. "Oh, Maker, it's been such an awful day, seeing you feels like maybe it'll turn around."

"But… is it not your name day?" Leliana protested. "Surely it can't be as bad as all that!" Cat didn't answer, but gave her a rueful look. "Ah… well then. Let's get up to these ruins before anyone sees us, no?" Cat nodded gratefully, and they took off, still talking quietly.

Cat explained without detail why Tallis had brought Hawke there, the purpose of the duke's meeting with the Tal Vashoth, and what the secrets he was selling actually were.

Leliana's face was grave as she took in this information. "We knew something was brewing, but had no idea what it would be," she explained to Cat. "You've heard I'm certain, of Divine Beatrix's death?" she asked.

"Yes," Cat nodded. "Have they selected a new Divine?" she asked.

"Not yet, though it seems likely it will be Mother Dorothea," Leliana said with a half smile. "Beatrix named her as her successor, and the group usually goes along with such pronouncements, even when they do not agree with them. There are some who are lobbying for support, to ensure that doesn't happen."

"I see," Cat said, noncommittally.

"I am certain you do, but I will not ask," Leliana said with a smirk. "In any case, we are trying to discover the empress' plans. There is much trouble building in Orlais, and we are trying to stop a civil war from happening."

"I don't know that you'll be successful there, Leli," Cat said sadly. "I honestly can't remember what happens, but something big happens in Halamshiral that sparks things."

"With the elves?" Leliana inquired. "They seem rather fond of the empress," she stated, looking confused. "She seems to care about them slightly, which is more than they get from anyone else."

"Like I said, I'm not certain. It's been almost five years since I heard the story after all, and I've been living through it, which makes it difficult to keep things straight, especially when it changes on me."

"Changes?" Leliana asked.

Cat explained quickly about the Crows that were trying to capture her, and Leliana looked concerned.

"That is very odd," she stated. "And now I know as to why I haven't heard from Zev in several months, but I suppose it is also good news."

"Good news?" Cat said skeptically.

"Well, if they had him, or killed him, they would not still be chasing you, no?" she asked with a wink.

"I suppose that is true…"

"It is strange that I found you alone however," she continued. "One would think your friends would not let you leave their sight when you have Crows after you."

"Well…"

"I mean, obviously your man feels the need to settle this Qunari issue, but I would have thought he would place others with you in his place…" she looked at the uncomfortable expression on her friend's face and stopped walking.

"Cat…" she said sternly. "You have always been protective of others' secrets, so I understand that you didn't tell him about Tallis, but you did tell him about everything else, yes?" she asked.

Seeing Cat close her eyes, she grabbed her friend's shoulders, giving her a little shake. "You haven't told him anything? __Anything?!__ Not even about yourself?"

Cat suddenly pushed back, "can you blame me?! _"_ she said angrily.

Leliana looked at her friend, the memories shifting quickly through her mind. The nights Cat would cry herself to sleep, feeling helpless and alone. The numerous times when Zev had to comfort her after Sten had questioned her- then tried to kill her after she finally gave in and answered.

The demands of knowledge from Morrigan, and the consistent second guessing glances from the others when she would share. And finally, the time when Duran had asked her something, and she refused to tell him. Zev was the only one to even try to speak to her for several days after that, wondering if she was setting them up for something.

It was easy to remember the good times, but she supposed for Cat… it was hard to forget the bad times. And no- she couldn't blame her for not wanting that to happen again.

"No…" Leliana answered after a long moment of silence. "No, I suppose I cannot begrudge you that decision, even if I do not agree with it."

They traveled on in silence for some time, avoiding anything they might come across. Leliana led her around the base of the ruins, while keeping away from them, and they waited and watched the path that led in.

"Let me ask you something Cat," Leliana said quietly, out of the blue. Cat turned to look at her in question. "Is Hawke going to take care of this situation?" she asked.

Cat nodded. "As far as I know."

"Then we can simply watch? I would hate to be seen as part of it if I do not need to."

"That's fine with me," Cat replied. "Hawke will probably throw a fit if I showed up to help anyway."

"Really?" she asked, a small smile on her face. "Isn't that adorable."

"What?" Cat asked, crinkling her nose in a look of distaste. "No, it's infuriating."

"Oh… I don't know," the redhead replied. "A hardened warrior, the champion of the city- and known for his kind and generous nature… losing his composure because of the possibility that you might be harmed?" She giggled happily. "Oh, my friend, it is quite obvious."

"What is?" Cat growled. "That he cares? Yeah, he said as much."

"Cares?" Leliana giggled again. "No darling, cares is when he tries to get you to a healer so you don't bleed to death. Or telling someone to stay safe, even knowing they are headed into mortal danger."

She looked away from Cat, and back to the path. "This is more than cares. This my dear, is someone __madly__ in love… and uncertain how to deal with it."

* * *

"Uh… I don't suppose an apology would help?" Tallis asked as she watched Hawke pace the cell.

He stopped and glared down at her. He moved over to the single cot and sat, still glaring at her. "What could you possibly say?" he asked sarcastically. "I'm sorry I used you to help the people that attacked your home? I'm sorry I got you captured and perhaps killed? That kind of apology?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds terrible," she said, looking away.

"It IS terrible!" he shouted.

"Look, I am sorry! None of this turned out like I planned… obviously."

"What was your plan exactly?" Hawke asked, though his glare didn't lessen. He listened as she told him of the Ben-Hassrath, even though he didn't quite get it all, nor to be honest, did he want to.

He did understand why she was trying to stop her mentor, and he could understand how much it hurt her to do it. He took a few deep breaths and tried to remain calm. If he exploded now… how would she ever trust again? Someone had to break the cycle.

"I told you that I would help, and I will," he said calmly. "You can't expect me to be happy that you lied to me, but I understand why you did it."

"R- really?" she asked, flabbergasted. "I certainly didn't expect that." She looked around a moment and stood up. "Well then, no more waiting to get rescued." She moved over, fiddling with the gate and after a few moments, it opened.

"Why didn't you just do that in the first place?" he asked, exasperated.

She looked back at him, over her shoulder. "You said your friends were coming."

"Hawke!" they heard, and turned towards the sound, seeing Aveline, Anders and Varric running towards them.

"Yeah, I did," he replied softly, the feeling of seeing them doing more to calm him than any amount of deep breaths could do.

* * *

 _ _This is proving to be quite the adventure,__ Hawke thought to himself, as he and his four companions crashed to the ground, out of breath.

"Can anyone explain to me how a revenant was here? And in a small black vial?" he asked them.

"No clue," Tallis replied, as Anders healed the large gash in her leg.

"Sorry about that Hawke," Aveline spoke up. "I probably shouldn't have smashed the thing open."

"Tell me you at least got something out of it," Hawke responded.

"A note," she replied. "Some sort of verse-like drivel incantation on the front, but on the back…" she paused as she read it. "It doesn't make sense to me, but it says the grand game continues, and for she of the red." She looked at the ring again, with the Du Lac crest on it.

"Well, we can make inquiries once we get back, or you can simply keep the ring and forget about it. Your choice," Hawke said, and she gave him a grateful look and a nod.

"This duke has the oddest collection of things," Varric finally spoke up. "Look at what we've already collected. Recipes, poetry, feathers, pieces of an amulet, and garbage written by a hack," he punctuated the last bit by holding up the manuscript he had found. It was entitled, Hard in Hightown 2: Even Harder.

"Oh, I don't know Varric… who knows, it might be good," Hawke drawled, trying to keep a straight face.

"Why do you wound me like that, Hawke?" Varric replied. "It's an affront to all my senses, and as soon as I find the last section of pages, I'm going to put an exploding bolt into the whole thing."

"Well, we'd better keep going then," Hawke retorted, as he stood up. "I still want to hear what happened with the others, but we keep getting interrupted."

"That's what happens when people are hunting you," Anders offered, as he stood up.

* * *

Tallis led the group over to another cell where there was a large crack in the wall. It was barely large enough to get through, and as Hawke, as the last, squeezed his way in, the wall around him crumbled.

"Well, we're not getting back that way, so hopefully this was the right way to go," he said jokingly, though his eyes looked gravely at Tallis.

"It is," she replied, leading them forward.

It may have been the correct path, but that didn't make it easy. They ran into groups of ghasts, the duke's men that were chasing them, and even that chasind bodyguard of his. By the time they had found the way out, Hawke was exhausted.

"Sit down Hawke," Anders told him before he could move on. "You need to replenish your mana, or you'll be no good to anyone."

"No, we need to keep moving," Tallis countered. "This is the way out, and who knows if the duke and Salit are already meeting?"

"It won't do us any good to get there and not be able to fight," Aveline said, though she didn't sit. "Besides, we're following Hawke, not you."

"Aveline," Hawke said, somewhat surprised. "I know Tallis lied to us, but we're not holding that against her. We can't expect everyone to trust us immediately."

"It's not just that…" Aveline muttered, turning away.

"So, everyone else is meeting us?" Hawke asked, wondering what was going on with her.

"Yeah, at the ruins," Varric replied, even as he rubbed his hand over his face. "Daisy and Choir boy are getting our things. We figured we wouldn't exactly be welcomed back into the Keep after this."

"Smart," Hawke replied, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Broody and Rivaini should also join us with Little Dove," he continued quickly.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Hawke opened his eyes, and looked at Varric in question. "Should?" he asked shrewdly.

Anders and Varric looked at each other, and Hawke sat up straighter. "What aren't you telling me?" he demanded.

"Calm down Hawke," Anders said, his hand out. He crouched down to get on Hawke's level, and kept his voice calm. "When Isabela and I were looking around, we came across a group that were trying to get into the Keep."

Hawke took the information in, but Anders could tell he hadn't put it together yet. "Isabela was certain that they were Crows."

At that, Hawke moved quickly - in order to rise, and Anders put his hand on his shoulder to keep him down. "After getting the key from that Cyril," Anders spat, making Hawke's eyes narrow, "Cat wanted to be alone- in the courtyard. We split up, and Fenris and Isabela are bringing Cat. You know she is safe with them."

The look on Hawke's face had Anders concerned, but he was uncertain what exactly he was dealing with.

Hawke's voice came out- quiet and deadly. "What happened with Cyril?" he asked.

"What?" Anders answered.

"You seemed very upset about that part Anders…" Hawke continued. "What happened?"

Varric chose that moment to step in, though he asked himself what the hell he was doing. "We don't know Hawke, Fenris only said that Cat was very upset."

Hawke glared over at Tallis again, seeing her looking away. "Let's get moving," he said. "I need to find them."

Tallis looked back and nodded, also determined. "This way."

* * *

Cat and Leliana froze as they watched a group of men and elves practically appear out of the shadows. They glanced at each other, but stayed silent as the group separated and moved into the cover around the ruins.

 _"_ _ _This is bad,"__ Cat whispered.

 _"_ _ _Those are definitely assassins,"__ Leliana replied. " _ _And we have no idea if there are more."__

They could see the foliage move slightly as the Crows made their way up towards the ruins.

After a few moments, they breathed a sigh of relief at not being discovered, but it was short lived.

"This has been going on for so long, I can't keep living like this," Cat mumbled. "Not to mention the toll it is taking on the others…"

Leliana was silent, but looked to Cat in concern, reaching out and laying her hand on her shoulder.

A sound of movement through the leaves had them both readying weapons, just as Isabela and Fenris joined them.

Cat blinked a few times in surprise, before leaning forward to embrace each of them. "We thought you were-"

"We know," Isabela interrupted quietly. "They are looking for you." She glanced at Leliana before looking back at Cat. "Did you not think how we would worry when we couldn't find you in the courtyard?"

Cat looked away. "I'm sorry, I didn't. I only thought of staying away from Cyril."

"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Fenris finally spoke. Cat shook her head, and his eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps we can discuss what to do about the assassins," Leliana suggested.

Fenris looked at her, gauging, and then spoke. "We kill them," he said, as if it were a small matter.

"It sounds as if that is what continues to happen, yet more still come, do they not?" Leliana replied.

"It's not like we have a lot of options Leli," Cat replied, and the other two looked at the redhead in a new light.

"True, but if they do not know where to look?" she replied. "That would solve things in Kirkwall at least."

"What are you suggesting?" Isabela demanded. "That Kitty just run away? Disappear?"

Leliana nodded, looking sadly at Cat when she gasped. "I think it is the only way, and it won't be forever. I can take you somewhere safe and you can write…perhaps…" she looked back out towards the ruins, "but until the threat is removed you won't be safe here."

"I can take care of my-" she started.

"How many times Cat?" Fenris asked suddenly, interrupting her.

"What?"

"How many times have you almost been captured?" he asked.

She pouted, but she knew better than to answer.

"What will happen to Zev if you were?" Leliana asked in a quiet voice. "He would come to save you, no matter the cost."

"He's not the only one," Isabela added softly. She looked away before looking at Cat resolutely. "I think she's right."

"You do?" Cat asked, surprised.

"Yeah. You should go, and you shouldn't tell us where." Isabela looked up to Leliana. "You can be the go between? Let us know how she is so we don't worry?"

"Of course," Leliana replied.

"Then we can let you know once it is over." She looked over at Cat, who was looking very upset. "Hey, it's only temporary, Kitty," she said.

"I'm getting sent away again," Cat said, dejected. "To keep me safe."

"Hey," Isabela said, giving her a shake. "Remember what came out of it last time? You never would have met me, or gone to Kirkwall at all. I hope you don't regret that."

"No, of course not."

"Alright then. You want this to be over, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Good, then stop pouting, and strip."

" _ _What?__ "

Isabela smirked, glad that the frown was gone. "We're going to switch clothes Kitty. By the time those fools realize I'm not you, you'll be long gone."

Cat looked around at a few of her closest friends. __They aren't sending me away…__ she realized. __They're shielding me. And I'd do the exact same for them.__

"All right," she answered, moving to unhook her cloak. "But if I'm going in disguise, we'd better make it count." She turned to Fenris. "How sharp is your sword?"

* * *

Hawke looked left, the exit to the cave was right there, and it was nice to see the sunshine again. He glanced back to the right, where Tallis stood, the other fork going up slightly.

"So… you could go. But there are other options," Tallis said, walking forward.

"Such as?" Hawke asked. He couldn't help his voice coming out snidely, though he only tried a little to stop it.

"You have been so reasonable since we were captured… and I'm hoping that hasn't changed. What Salit is planning to do will hurt so many innocents. Not only my people, but yours as well. I _ _have__ to stop him, but I know now that I can't do it alone." Tallis looked up, wanting to be as honest as she could right now. She knew it would mean everything.

"Explain it to me," Hawke said. "What is so terrible about Salit's plan?"

"I… can't. Not entirely." She turned away, the conflict between needing his support and her training straining at her. "And yes, I know… that's a hard sell." She turned back, looking him in the eye. "I'm not here on some directive from the Qun."

"So this isn't some political scheme?" Varric asked pointedly.

Tallis shook her head. "I wish it were. What Salit plans to hand over to Orlais will hurt not just the Qunari, but anyone living on Qunari lands, of any race. I came here…." she gave a large sigh, and a shrug, looking at them plaintively. "I have to try."

"It just seems that if this is as big as you say, there would be many more Qunari sent to take care of this," Varric said, confused. "We saw hundreds of Qunari, just because of a missing book."

Tallis turned to look at him, amused. "That was a little different," she said. "That tome was more than a book, it had a soul." She thought for a moment and continued. "Think of it like Bianca… but with pages."

"He does make a point though," Aveline spoke up.

"The Ben-Hassrath deemed that they need not intervene on this. I couldn't agree."

"You say that like it has happened before," Hawke said.

Tallis sighed again. "It's not easy, being an elf in the Qun. You aren't born to it, like they are. Sometimes, I've struggled to find that peace, that purpose. I know it's there… I just keep falling short- trusting the wrong people."

"So my options are?" he asked.

"Follow, or don't. It's really that simple."

Hawke looked at his companions, before looking back to Tallis. "I'm a man of my word, so I'll go along. But just so you know, finding the rest of my crew comes first."

She nodded curtly, and turned to lead them out.


	87. Chapter 87- The Duke's Fall

"I knew you were a filthy traitor, the moment I laid eyes on you."

Hawke glanced as a man emerged in front of their group, then his eyes moved around even as he stood his ground. There were chevaliers in full armor surrounding them on all sides.

"Baron Arlange?" Hawke asked in annoyance. "Are you certain you want to do this- __again__?"

"Our numbers are very different this time," the Baron said with disgust. "We shall have no trouble."

Hawke didn't bother speaking that time, he just pulled his staff out. One thing he knew about full armor… lightning spells would simply cooked the men inside, and then he could move on.

He didn't bother to play nice, he had better things to do. And it seemed that the four people with him felt the same. Even Tallis didn't bother to speak to him of mercy, she simply finished it by stabbing the Baron, and the crew moved on- leaving the bodies of the men behind them- not caring enough to even check their pockets.

"There Hawke," Aveline said as the ruins came into view from a distance. "That's where we're meeting."

"All right, let's go," he said, and though Tallis frowned, he noted that she followed along willingly. Somehow, that rubbed him the wrong way, though he didn't understand why.

He took a right at the next fork in the path, heading upwards, and glanced over to Tallis at his side as she spoke.

"Thank you, by the way," she said quietly. "For deciding to help me."

"That's what friends do," he replied. "Not that we are… yet."

"It's all right, I know I don't inspire trust- what with all the secrets."

He glanced at her again, signaling to stop. He turned to her, feeling that for once… she was being open with him. "That's not what friendship is Tallis," he said, and she looked up in confusion. "Friendship doesn't mean having no secrets. Friendship means trusting despite those secrets, and knowing that the other person won't let those secrets harm you."

"And… if they do?" she asked, uncertain.

"Then you do everything you can to fix it," Varric spoke up. "You think none of us have secrets?" he said gesturing to Aveline and Anders on either side of him. "Or have made mistakes?"

"I… see," she said, thinking it through.

"I just hope," Hawke began, and Tallis faced him again. "For __your__ sake… that this isn't another trick," he said with a half smile. And she could tell that he was deadly serious with his threat, but giving a part smile as an offer of said friendship.

"Is there something else I could trick you with?" she asked with a smirk.

He shrugged. "The day is still young." She cracked first and gave a small smile, which made him smile in turn.

"That smile is deadly, I'm surprised you don't use it more," she said as they began walking again.

His eyebrow rose, but he didn't reply, and she nodded.

"I'm a little jealous," she said in amusement. "Though if you tell her that, I'll have to kill you all."

She heard the quiet chuckles behind her, and she felt suddenly lighter at Hawke's baffled expression.

"I have no idea what you mean," he said brusquely.

"You hide it well…" she offered, "until you are around her. Then your emotions are as plain as day." She glanced to him with a grin. "Don't feel bad Hawke, I __am__ Ben-Hassrath after all. It's sort of my job to read people."

He grunted at her, but didn't get a chance to speak, as Qunari- __or was it Tal Vashoth? Not that he cared-__ littered the path ahead. He simply pulled out his staff, and threw his hands up to call down a blizzard.

* * *

"So… what should we call you?" Leliana asked as the pair made their way down the mountain. "It should be something you are comfortable with, and will answer easily to."

Cat glanced over, then back down to her feet, so that she wouldn't trip. "The only thing I can think of is Rina. I mean, I __did__ answer to it for most of my life."

"Hmm," came the reply. "It is somewhat obvious for those that will be looking for you, but since it is just for our travels it will do well enough I suppose. Perhaps they will not be aware of your full name."

"So what's the plan then, just sneak back to Orlais with you?" Cat asked.

"No, Rina," she answered. "Ugh, that doesn't feel right at all, does it?" Leliana said with a scrunch of her nose, and Cat wondered how she could still look beautiful doing it.

"But still, no." Leliana continued to move purposefully through the terrain. "I am hoping your friends will be able to kill all those that followed you here, but we must be prepared in case that does not happen."

"Okay, so… do you even have a plan?" Cat asked wryly.

"Several," Leliana answered with a smug smile. "Do you?"

"Do I what?" Cat asked, still maneuvering over branches.

"Have a plan, silly. I thought since you resolutely cut off all your beautiful hair, that you must have had a plan of some sort."

Cat reached up to feel her hair. "How bad does it look really?" she asked, dreading the answer. Her head still felt too light, and she was somewhat sick at the feeling of it still being there, but not being able to touch it when she lifted her hand. Almost like a phantom limb.

"It isn't bad," Leliana answered. "Different, but it helps you to blend in better."

"I know I am going to need help to shape it. I can't believe he cut it right at my head," Cat complained, though she knew she couldn't blame Fenris. She just thought he would slice it right above where he held it, more like at her shoulders.

But he had grabbed the tail, and sliced at the back of her skull. Now she had some sort of weird mop looking thing- the front and sides at her jawline, and the back extremely short. It had been at her waist, and the only reason she wasn't sobbing over the loss was her focus on getting away.

"I'll help you when we stop for the night," Leliana offered. "I will admit, I wasn't expecting you to climb a tree in order to hide it."

"Well if they knew I cut it off, then it was all for nothing, and it's been too painful to be all for nothing," Cat said miserably. "Hawke's not going to be happy."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"He loved it," Cat answered, deflating a little. "And… I don't know, it made me feel beautiful I guess, that he always needed to be touching it. And now… it's gone."

"And you worry, why? That the only explanation to why he was always touching was because of your hair?" Leliana asked, somewhat exasperated. "I swear Rina," this time Cat was the one to scrunch her nose in distaste, "that you can be so blind to the simplest things."

Cat rolled her eyes. "I've heard that before."

"Can I give you some advice?" Leliana asked.

"I may not take it, but sure," Cat replied with a grin.

"Just by that, I can see how much you have changed," Leliana answered with a smile of her own. "It is this. Don't let your mind talk your heart out of what it knows."

Cat didn't speak for a time, and as the path became flat once again, and they exited the forest, she finally answered.

"Thanks, Leli."

* * *

"Fenris?" Hawke asked, even as Fenris and Cat ran to join them. Fenris shushed the group as they came up behind them, and Hawke lowered his voice. "Where's Isabela?" he asked, wondering at the same time what was going on with Cat. It appeared they were being followed by how she was facing away to search the forest around them.

"There are Crows, surrounding the path," Fenris stated quietly. "Isabela is trying to take them out silently, one at a time, and could use some help." He glanced over to Varric in question.

"On it," Varric said, taking off his coat, and gently laying his crossbow on it. "Blondie, I need you to guard her with your life."

"I won't let anyone or anything touch her," Anders replied seriously, and Varric nodded as he pulled several pouches from his belt, and laid them on the ground next to his coat.

"What are you doing?" Aveline asked, not certain she wanted to know.

"If I'm going to be silent, I need to not take things that make noise when I walk," Varric stated, looking at her as if explaining to a child.

Tallis smiled, and put a hand on Varric's shoulder, which had Fenris narrowing his eyes. "I'll help," she offered.

"You sure, Shivs?" Varric asked.

"It's the least I can do," she replied. "Besides, I doubt any of us want a dagger in the back."

"Aveline and I will start slowly up the path with you, as a distraction," Hawke said. He glanced over as Aveline came to stand behind him. "You can break off from us at the tree line. Varric, you go left; Tallis, you go right, and circle around until you meet each other."

He saw them nod, and get into position. "Fenris-"

"I'll keep Cat safe," Fenris interrupted. "We saw seven of them go into the trees originally, I think."

"Meaning there could be more," Varric said with a nod.

"Very well," Hawke replied, feeling as though something was amiss, but decided to wait until the danger was handled before getting into it. "Let's go."

He glanced back as they walked off, seeing that Cat was still facing away. He wondered again what had happened back at the chateau, but then focused on the task at hand. He'd find out one way or the other, once all of it was over.

He sighed heavily, as he placed a barrier on himself and Aveline. He knew that most of their plans went to hell before they even started- but for some reason he had thought that this trip would be an exception. __Should have known better,__ he thought wryly.

Aveline spoke to him of inconsequential things- guard rotations, or politics- anything to keep the attention of the assassins around them. She mentioned Cat a few times, though said nothing of import. Hawke replied, glancing around as they walked slowly up the path.

He didn't doubt the rogues that were with him, though with only seven men, he was a little surprised that Isabela hadn't taken care of them yet. They kept their pace slow, in order to get to all of them before crashing the duke's party. It was obvious now that they had managed to make their meeting place the same as Tallis' objective. __But of course,__ he thought.

Once they got rid of the Crows, and stopped the duke… they could finally, _ _finally__ go home.

Hawke was pulled out of his thoughts as Tallis and Varric stepped onto the path in front of them. "I found three," Tallis said quietly.

"Five for me Shivs," Varric said with a smirk. "What happened?"

"Squirrel gave me away," Tallis grumbled. "Crow looked up just as I jumped, so we had to duel it out. Took longer than I thought it would."

Varric patted her shoulder. "Ah, you'll feel better once we get that weapon of yours." He turned to Hawke. "I need to get Bianca, so I'll bring the others back with me," he said as he took off at a jog.

"Where's Isabela?" Hawke asked Tallis.

"Didn't see any sign of her," Tallis replied.

"You don't think they got to her, do you?" Aveline asked, trying not to sound concerned.

"Knowing her?" Hawke responded, though he was a little worried. "She probably followed the duke to get there first." He saw the others hurrying to catch up, and he turned, giving Tallis a nod. "We'll cause a distraction. You get into position to take the weapon."

Tallis nodded, and let them pass, Hawke leading the others up the path. "Oh, and Tallis?" Hawke said, as he stopped and looked back. "Find somewhere for Cat too, will you?" he asked, seeing Cat- still wrapped up in her hooded cloak- stop and stand by the elf.

Hawke nodded, gesturing the others onward. He couldn't help but be grateful that Cat was finally listening to him, he had fully expected an argument. __Why does that thought not sit well?__ he wondered, as he looked back once again.

* * *

"Champion. I should have known you would turn up," Duke Prosper said pithily.

"I have a keen sense of dramatic timing," Hawke replied, ensuring all eyes were on him. "And great hair," he added while brushing his hand over it.

"Joke while you can," the duke sneered. "You will not find it funny for long."

"Shows how little he knows you," Varric said quietly, as Tallis made her move. Hawke noted with surprise that Isabela was helping her, and he gave a nod, grateful she had turned up. And that Cat was staying back.

With the scroll that the duke had now in her hands, Tallis threw a smoke bomb and jumped out of the way, climbing to the top of a broken ruin.

"I told you I would stop you Salit," Tallis said angrily.

"And I told you that I would slay you if you tried," the huge Tal Vashoth replied.

"If anyone is to do any slaying, it will be me!" Duke Prosper shouted, shooting something at Salit. He looked stunned for a moment, putting his hand into the jelly-like substance that was now splattered on his chest, and looking at his hand in confusion.

"What is it, poison?" Anders asked no one in particular.

Everyone turned at a loud roar, seeing the alpha wyvern that had been caged in the duke's garden appear in the ruins. It looked at the group gathered, and came barreling towards them, ignoring those that scattered from it and leaped for Salit.

It didn't bother to eat him, simply bit him in two before spitting him out on the ground. Everyone glanced over, somewhat in shock at the abrupt death, but came to their senses as the duke shouted, "kill them all!"

Hawke's crew turned their backs to each other, uncertain of where the attack would come from before moving out to meet their foes.

"One would think the Tal Vashoth would fight with us against the duke," Varric called to Hawke as he shot his crossbow.

"Why is that?" Hawke replied, as he cast a gravity spell, slowing down the duke's men that were surrounding Tallis.

"I don't know Hawke… enemy of my enemy or whatever?" Varric retorted.

"For them it seems more like everyone is my enemy!" Hawke laughed, as he continued to throw spells to protect his people.

He looked around, seeing that the duke's guards were focusing on the Tal Vashoth first, and wondered what their game was. Hearing a shout for him to move, he jumped back and moved to the left, as something exploded on the ground in front of him.

"Hawke, you okay?" he heard Anders call. "Watch out! That wyvern is spitting its poison!"

Hawke glanced down, seeing the nasty stuff on his greaves, and looking up to where the wyvern was perched on the ruins. He'd need to keep an eye on the beast in order to dodge any more attacks.

He happened to glance down then, below the wyvern, and saw the duke aiming for him, and he threw himself to the side. He looked back, seeing the jelly junk hitting a man behind him in the back- and hearing the roar of the wyvern, he moved as quickly as he could.

"Leopold, to me!" the duke shouted, after seeing his pet rip one of his guards apart- disappointed that he hadn't gotten the Champion, but no matter. He still had the advantage.

The Kirkwall crew watched with wide eyes as the huge creature moved back to the duke, who had climbed a little way up the ruins. It stood still as the duke jumped on its back and it roared.

"He's actually riding it," Aveline voiced all their unbelief.

"Let's end this!" Hawke shouted.

They fought as best they could as they dodged both the wyvern's poison, and its jaws as it leaped and spit at them. They made somewhat of a circle around it, finding themselves running and dodging most of the time as it sprang from one side of the clearing to the other.

They were getting tired, Hawke could see it, and his mind whirled as he tried to think of a way to get the duke off his beast. Seeing Fenris dodge it at the last moment, and the creature skidding across the stone pathway into the ruin as it tried to stop gave him an idea. A risky, practically insane idea.

Not caring at that particular moment, he shot an arcane bolt at the duke, determined to get his attention. He smirked at the man as he turned in fury, and pretended to try to dodge as he shot the wyvern bait, letting the stuff hit him in the shoulder.

The wyvern roared, and changed direction, getting Hawke in its sights. Hawke stepped back, but only a couple of steps, knowing he was close to the cliff edge. He readied his staff as the beast came charging, aiming his telekinetic burst, and letting it go, then jumping away.

The beast's claws grazed him on the arm, and he grunted as he fell. He watched from the ground as the wyvern tried to find purchase on the cliff edge, only to have the telekinetic burst go off behind it, pushing it further and over the ledge.

He smiled as the beast fell, and he moved to stand, happy that it had worked.

Hearing some colorful swearing, which he wasn't expecting, he grabbed his arm and moved over to the cliff, as his friends came to join him. Looking over, they saw the duke- barely hanging on, cursing them.

"The empress will hear of this! Orlais will burn Kirkwall to the ground, and ALL of you will DIE SCREAMING! I SWEAR IT!" he shouted.

Hawke looked down at him, wondering if the man was even strong enough to pull himself up- since he wasn't going to offer help. As the duke couldn't seem to even get a second hand on the ledge, he doubted it.

"I would have gone for begging for mercy…" Hawke said, his head tilted as he looked down at the duke, and then he smirked. "But that's just me."

He turned and walked away, and the others looked at him, then to the cliff as they heard the screaming and the silence as the scream was suddenly cut off.

Hawke looked around at his friends. "It seems the duke has… fallen from grace," he said with his eyebrows wiggling up and down.

The others groaned and rolled their eyes. "Hey, come on, that was pretty good!" he complained, as they shot him down. "Seriously? Like you could come up with better!" Hawke said as they found a relatively clean place to sit down and tend their wounds.

He shrugged their lack of humor off, as he too sat, even as they heard someone shouting his name. They turned to see Merrill and Sebastian coming into the clearing, carting several packs each.

"Glad you could make it!" Hakwe said happily. He glanced around again. "Wait, where's Cat?" he asked. Seeing the others glance around as well, and noting that Isabela and Fenris were looking at each other tensely.

"Fenris? Isabela?" he demanded. "What the hell's going on?!" The tight ball churning in his belly hadn't gone away this entire time, and now he knew why.

He felt sick as the two of them looked to him, and he saw something in their faces. "TELL ME!" he said as he rose to his feet, moving over to them. "NOW!"

* * *

"Are we alone enough now?!" Hawke growled, his patience at its limit.

Isabela looked around, before sighing, and looking at Fenris. He lowered his pack and sword to the ground, and sank down to sit, the others following his example.

"Sit down Hawke," he said wearily.

"Look you guys," Hawke said, trying to keep his anger in check. "All I get is a whisper that Cat is safe, and we can't talk about it in front of others. So we said goodbye to Tallis and left. Now here we are, all alone. But if you think I'm going to relax when I have no idea where she is, you're very, very wrong."

Isabela looked around before turning back to Hawke. The others started to get some semblance of a camp set up, though they were all listening. "How much do you know about Kitty's time in Ferelden?" she asked Hawke.

"Not as much as I should, I think, since you ask me that," Hawke said, frowning.

"You weren't there Rivaini, but during the whole Qunari attack, we ran into a few of the Little Dove's warden friends. Alistair, and Nathaniel. And they had Carver with them."

"Cat will bring news of Carver sometimes with the letters she gets from the wardens," Hawke added.

"Right," Isabela said with a sigh. "Look, just so I can say that I said it, this can't go beyond us, understand?" she said as she looked around. "Kitty has a habit of making friends with important people before they become important, and she doesn't talk about it because she doesn't want to cause problems for those friends."

"I guess that includes us, huh?" Sebastian said, trying to negate the tenseness in the group.

"Right," Fenris answered. "Remember how we thought the Crows were targeting Cat because of Hawke? Well, they honestly could have been targeting her because of any of her friends in Ferelden, as well as Hawke."

"The Hero of Ferelden," Hawke said tightly. "That's how she knows the highest ranking wardens, and why the warden commander offered to have her taken back to Ferelden." He looked to Fenris and Isabela for confirmation, and was surprised to see Anders nodding too. He glared at his friend angrily.

"Duran, the warden commander, was the reason I was recruited into the wardens," Anders said in response to the look. "He conscripted me in order to save me from the templars, and I was with them for several months. I had heard a few stories about Cat, and finally discovered that she was the same Cat. We talked a little about our mutual friends, but it is just natural to not speak of it," he explained.

"But why?" Hawke asked, frustrated. "No, never mind," he said before Anders could answer. "What does this have to do with where Cat is?" he asked Isabela. "Did the wardens come to take her again?"

Isabela sighed again. "Have you heard the stories?" she asked. "Of all those that traveled with the Hero?"

"Some," Hawke admitted impatiently.

"It was quite the rag tag crew," Varric spoke up. "Two junior wardens left in all of Ferelden against the blight. From what I heard, they took any help they could. Mages, qunari, dwarves, elves… if the stories are to be believed."

"Well… yes," Isabela replied. "Kitty was traveling with them, for a short time anyway. Among them was an assassin that was an Antivan Crow- formerly- who had sworn to protect Kitty. I also happened to owe him a favor, and when our paths crossed in Ferelden, he asked me to take Kitty along- get her safe from the blight."

"Ah, so that's why she wasn't with her hero anymore," Varric said, his eyes bright with curiosity.

"He's the reason, isn't he," Hawke said as he rubbed his temples. "Why the Crows are after her."

"Yes," Fenris picked it up, knowing Isabela was about at her limit for such serious talk. "They want him dead and are having difficulty in getting to him, and somehow found out about her. They want to use her to get to him."

"So she left," Hawke said, his voice cracking. "With this... assassin?"

"No," Fenris answered. "Leliana, another of those friends, was here at the duke's party. She offered to help Cat disappear until the Crows were dealt with." He looked around now, seeing the disappointment on several faces. "Cat accepted. She and Isabela switched clothes, and they left while we made sure our double was seen. They may continue to try to find her with us, but they will not be able to."

"And what is to stop them from grabbing and torturing one of us, to get her location?" Hawke asked, still angry, but his voice now sounding pained. He started pacing back and and forth in front of them.

"They can try, but we don't know," Isabela said. "Leliana is our only connection now, and she has many friends in high places. They won't be able to get to her, even if they were to somehow get that information from us."

"So… we don't know where Cat is, or when we'll even see her again?" Merrill asked quietly.

"She chose this?" Hawke interrupted sternly. "The three of you didn't __convince__ her it was the right thing to do?"

"She accepted the suggestion," Fenris replied. "She asked for our opinions and we gave them, but we didn't force it upon her if that is what you are asking."

"I don't know what I'm asking," Hawke said as he stopping his pacing. "I'm going for a walk," he said as he turned.

"Hawke…" several of them started.

"I'll stay within shouting distance," he continued, interrupting them. "So just let me be."

He walked away, the others watching him go as he disappeared into the trees.

The group was quiet for some time, before Varric spoke. "That must have been hard, letting her go," he said to Fenris and Isabela.

"It was," Fenris replied. "As we were joining them, we heard Cat say how she couldn't keep living like this anymore. I don't know about Isabela, but that was the deciding factor for me. It's been hard on all of us, but especially for Cat and Hawke."

The group was silenced as they heard Hawke roar in anger. They listened for a moment for a sign that he was in trouble, but hearing none, left him alone.

"You should have seen Kitty in my outfit," Isabela said with a smirk, wanting to change the subject. "I'm tempted to have her keep it for when she comes back, but I worry that Hawke may have strange fantasies about the both of us."

Aveline made a "pfft" noise, causing Isabela to turn to her. "You don't think so?" she asked the guard captain.

"He's gone for her, no matter what she's wearing, he'll only see her," Aveline replied with a small smile. "This is probably agonizing, feeling like he can't protect her, not knowing where or how she is." She looked off to where Hawke had disappeared.

"Maybe the Maker will smile on us, and give us the way to get rid of these Crows once and for all," Sebastian said as he began working on getting a campfire lit. "The sooner they are gone, the sooner she can come home."

"That's a good thought," Anders said. "Maybe instead of waiting for them to come looking for her, we turn the tables and start looking for them."

"That's got to be one of your better ideas, Blondie," Varric said with a rogue-ish grin. "We can start gathering information once we get back to Kirkwall."

"Let's find what we can before we take it to Hawke," Fenris spoke up, still looking grim. "I don't want to get his hopes up, and he's got enough on his shoulders. I doubt the city will let him be once we return either."

"True," Aveline agreed. "Everyone agreed then?" she asked, her eyes looking at each of them in turn, and getting nods in reply. "Good." She moved to open the pack she had been carrying. "Let's start dinner," she said, looking in the bag.

She glanced over to the waif-like elf. "Merrill?" she asked. "What is all this?"

Merrill looked over, and her face fell into a pout. "It was for Cat's name day celebration, remember? Hawke said after the work was done, we would celebrate? I didn't know Cat wasn't here, so Sebastian and I grabbed the presents and all the food we could swipe from the kitchen."

"That was sweet, kitten," Isabela said in comfort. "I bet Kitty will be moved that you thought of her, even though she wasn't here."

"Do you really think so?" Merrill asked.

"Yes," several of them replied, and then smiled.

"Let's save the presents for when she returns, shall we?" Anders suggested. "But I think we should go ahead with the food."

They went ahead with the normal tasks of making camp, no one commenting on Hawke's appearance when he finally returned, or his severely bleeding knuckles. Knowing he could heal them himself if he wanted, they simply tried to silently support their friend and leader through the night, and the trip back to Kirkwall.


	88. Chapter 88

Cat groaned, panting heavily as she finally stopped. Leliana didn't let up, and grabbed her arm to keep her going.

"Leli, I need to rest," Cat complained.

"You can rest once we get to the Keep," came the reply, and Cat groaned again.

"We haven't seen a sign of anyone following us since we boarded the ship, and that was weeks ago," Cat said as she panted.

Leliana stopped suddenly, pulling Cat with her around a corner, and behind a stack of barrels. She turned, giving her friend a hard look.

"Do you know how I am able to keep you alive?" Leliana asked, and then continued without giving Cat a chance to respond. "By __not__ assuming that you are safe. And if you want to stay alive after I leave you, you need to learn the same lesson."

Cat slowed her heart rate by taking more deep breaths, as she looked at her friend. And then finally nodded. "You're right."

Leliana's eyebrow rose. "And what am I right about?" she asked.

Cat knew Leliana wasn't one to crow about being right- at least not about serious topics like this. She was more concerned about Cat getting the point she was trying to make.

"I thought no one knew we left, or even who we were, and I thought we were safe."

"And?" Leliana asked.

"And I was almost killed," Cat replied, her hand going to her side, where she had a bandage wrapped around her. Leliana was the only reason she was badly injured instead of dead.

The redhead nodded curtly, and sighed. "We've done what we can, and sent out decoys," Leliana said quietly. "And it is true, that nothing happened on the voyage, but we don't know if that is because no one followed us. Trying to kidnap someone while on a boat would hardly be wise, for how would they get their prize off the ship without suspicion?"

"I didn't think of that," Cat replied, cursing her own naivety, and Leliana smiled gently at her.

"No, but you are learning," she said. "Most would think we sailed to Highever if we were going to Ferelden, not Amaranthine, so there is a chance we are not being followed." She moved to peer around the barrels, and nodded. "All right, here is the plan," she started, getting Cat's attention. "I will go to the Keep, and see if he is there. If not, we'll have to continue on. You take this," she said, handing Cat a pouch of coins.

"What am I buying?" Cat asked. "Supplies?"

"Some dried food, and more water skins," Leliana said with a nod. "Easy to travel with. Then go to that tavern there, and get a meal," she said as she pointed. "Make sure to ask about inns, give the impression that you are looking for work and plan to stay in town."

"Got it," Cat replied, tying the pouch to her belt, behind her cloak so it would be out of sight. "Won't they be surprised to see you alone, without your entourage?" she asked.

"I usually sneak in," Leliana answered with a smile. "See how far I can get to the commander before I am caught. You know how much he hates surprises."

Cat snickered, as she indeed recalled his intense distaste for pranks, and Leliana's obvious delight at the chance to perform one now. "Well, I just hope he's here. After over two weeks of traveling, I'm ready for a bed."

* * *

"Here Daisy, have a drink on me," Varric said kindly, gesturing Merrill to take the seat next to him.

"Thanks Varric," she replied, sitting down and looking unhappy.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied. "I guess I just feel restless. We haven't had a job since we got back."

Norah came by with the glass of wine for Merrill, who took it with a shy smile. "It's good to see one of Varric's friends here again," she said, ignoring the yelling from other patrons. "It seems like forever since I've seen any of you in here!"

"You know how busy our Champion is Norah," Varric said with a roll of his eyes. He had said as much several times now.

"Yes, but what about all the others?" she asked with a frown. "I miss seeing all of them, especially Cat. She always has a smile or a kind word." She stopped talking, seeing the dwarf and elf in front of her pout.

"She's visiting a cousin in Orlais," Varric said, lifting his eyes to Norah's gaze. "I'll be sure to let her know you asked after her the next time I write."

Norah smiled and thanked him, then left to continue her work.

"I wish we really did know where she was so we could write," Merrill said sadly.

"Me too Daisy," Varric replied, taking another drink.

"But if I were actually wishing, I would just wish she were here," Merrill continued, looking like she was going to cry.

"Daisy?" Varric asked softly, concerned. "You okay?"

"No," Merrill replied quietly. "I don't know how to fix it, I only know Cat would know what to do."

"Fix what?" Varric asked.

"I…" she said. "I just feel… like I've lost all my friends," she finally said, though her voice was so soft, he barely caught it. "I feel all alone."

Varric sat still as the guilt hit him. He knew he had been busy, especially since taking the time to go to that duke's stupid hunt. It was something he knew everyone regretted, and refused to speak about.

He had just assumed that the others were still doing the same, though if he were being honest, he knew Hawke had immersed himself in the city's affairs.

Thinking of Hawke, Varric shook his head. He wasn't sure what he could do for Hawke, he'd already tried everything he could think of. He glanced back over to his current companion. He might not be able to help Hawke, but he __could__ help Merrill.

"The Little Dove isn't the only one that can fix that," he said, reaching over and giving her hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Daisy."

He smiled sheepishly as she looked at him in awe. "I'll do my best, but it will probably take time. Maybe try getting to know some of your neighbors in the alienage?" he suggested. "Doesn't the dress makers that Little Dove uses live there?"

* * *

"Well?" Cat asked, as Leliana sat down in front of her.

"No one," came the reply.

"So we keep moving," Cat said with a groan, and Leliana smirked at her.

"You say that as if you don't want to travel with me anymore," she said with a chuckle.

"You know very well that isn't why," Cat answered tersely. "I merely don't want to sleep on the ground any more."

Leliana leaned in, to prevent any others from eavesdropping. "I know, my friend. But just think how our friends will welcome us once we get to Soldier's Peak?" she said quietly as her eyes twinkled in delight.

Cat smiled back, even as she passed some of her meal to her friend. "You've got me there," she replied. "You're not leaving right away, are you?"

"I'll see you settled first," Leliana said, grabbing a biscuit, some meat and cheese to make a sort of sandwich. "Let's see about that room you found?" she asked, a little more clearly, intending for that to be overheard by any close by.

"It's not much," Cat said, as she stood and gathered her things, leaving money for the waitress. "But I think you'll like how clean it is."

They left without any more words, and Leliana let Cat lead her from the tavern, and through several streets of the town before taking the lead. She double backed, and took several turns in quick succession, before they hid and watched for anyone seeming to follow them.

Finding nothing, they waited a little longer for night to fall, and then slipped over the wall, not wanting to be seen leaving by the gate. If anyone were waiting for them there, they would be disappointed.

* * *

"Hello Aveline."

The Guard Captain looked up, surprised to see the elf in front of her desk. "Fenris?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I…" he started, looking uncomfortable, and angry… though she couldn't fathom why. "I need help," he stated in aggravation.

"All right," she replied, concerned. "Uh, do you want to sit down?"

"No, I don't want to sit down!" he growled, as he began pacing.

Aveline blinked a few times, taken aback by his sudden aggression. It had been quite awhile since she had seen this side of him rear its ugly head.

"Then, why don't you tell me what you need?" she offered, though without letting any of the sympathy she felt inside be shown to him.

He turned to glare at her, and sighed. "I apologize, I simply do not like to involve others in personal business, but I do not know what else to do!"

"Apology accepted," she said, her tone still business like. "How can I help?" she asked. She was still somewhat rigid about it, but it made him feel more at ease.

"I've been trying to find out more information on this supposed sister," he began, and Aveline sat back to listen. The more she heard, the more his voice betrayed his confusion and anguish. She couldn't help but want to assist him.

And she couldn't help but wonder what had happened with Hawke… to make Fenris decide to come to her.

* * *

Aveline knocked on the door, already wondering if she was doing the right thing by trying to knock some sense into Hawke. He was furious with everyone, and instead of lashing out as they all thought he would, he had retreated into himself.

The trip home from the wyvern hunt had been awkward and painful, as his crew had tried to respect his sorrow, and leave Hawke be. He had refused to speak to anyone, and they had thought that he simply needed time.

But on returning to Kirkwall, they had found another mess, as the Chantry had given Meredith the power to act as the Viscount and protect the city, since the Champion was away. Seeing him returned, meant that Hawke still had the backing of the people, which gave him plenty of support even from the Chantry, yet he was constantly fighting with Meredith on her decisions for the good of the city.

Aveline had no idea what Meredith's problem with Hawke actually was, but she used him as a reason to enforce more restrictions on the mages in the circle. If Hawke tried to help, or fight her, she would merely tighten the noose even more.

Hawke was backed into a corner, but he wouldn't back down. He became secretive, and if Aveline was any judge, seemed to be fighting a war on two sides- One, helping Aveline keep the city safe in keeping the laws. And two- she suspected he was helping Anders and his underground as well, though she couldn't prove it.

She hardly saw Anders anymore, in fact it seemed as though Hawke kept them apart on purpose, as if he worried that she would turn on him or something. She had tried to dissuade him of that fact, but it made no difference.

Aveline wished again as she had many times, that they had never gone to that hunt- or that Cat had come back with them.

The door opened, and Bodahn gestured her inside. She gave a nod and spoke a thank you before asking after Hawke. Bodahn did not get a chance to answer, as Hawke came into the room from the library, followed by Varric, who was speaking.

"All I'm saying is that things are different Hawke, and nobody is happy about it!" Varric said grumpily. "We are a team, but we haven't been acting like it."

"If the __team__ isn't all together, it isn't a team, Varric," Hawke replied, as he turned slightly upon seeing his new guest. "Aveline," he said with a nod.

"Aveline, good to see you," Varric said, and Aveline felt her mouth twitch up in a smile. He sounded genuinely happy to see her, and felt the same. She'd never admit it out loud, but she had missed seeing the big-mouthed dwarf.

"Varric," she replied with a nod. "Hawke."

"What brings you here?" Hawke asked.

"I suspect, the same as Varric," she answered, and while Hawke frowned, Varric grinned.

"Really?" they both said, though their tones had the meanings differing greatly.

"Fenris came to see me today," she answered. "It seems he needed some help, which I am happy to give. But I couldn't help but wonder why he would come to me instead of you, Hawke."

Hawke looked up, as if asking the heavens themselves for help. "I don't know, why didn't you simply ask him?" he replied. "I'm not a mind reader, and Fenris is probably the hardest person to read in general."

"My point is," Aveline answered dryly, "that things are different," she said, using Varric's words from moments before. "I suppose I was simply wondering if we are no longer your crew."

"You're the bloody Guard Captain," Hawke pointed out, only to have Aveline shrug at him. His eyes narrowed, and he looked more closely at her. "What? What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"It's nothing I can't handle," she answered, for she truly believed that to be true. "Rumors about distaste in my methods as captain. But it did make me think, and then wonder why I didn't tell my friends about it. Then I realized I hadn't seen my friends since we came back from that awful hunt."

She was sorry she had mentioned it when she saw Hawke take in a shaky breath, and release it. She gave a small smile. "Kirkwall has always had its issues, but I wouldn't change coming here," she said. "I met Donnic, and I'll be forever grateful for that, but also Hawke, because of you."

She looked at him, as he and Varric stared at her, almost in disbelief. "Yeah," she muttered. "I know I'm not one to share feelings and whatever, but I may actually miss seeing some of you."

"Hawke, this isn't on you, not really," Varric said, taking over as Hawke practically collapsed into a chair. "We all needed some time and space, and not seeing Little Dove has been hard on everyone-"

"Aargh!" Hawke interrupted with a growl of annoyance, getting up from his chair.

"I'm not done!" Varric said loudly, and Hawke turned in bafflement.

 _ _Varric… yelled at me…__ he thought in shock as he sat back down.

"You're not the only one missing her," Varric continued, and started raising fingers as he counted off their friends. "Isabela, Fenris and Anders all act as if they lost their best friend… which I'm guessing they actually did. And of course, they act as if they don't care. Not one of us has even bothered to check on Merrill, who feels abandoned, and I have no idea what Choir boy is even up to," he said, getting more worked up as he went on.

"This is the first time I've seen Aveline since we got back to Kirkwall, and everyone is basically afraid to see or even speak to you because you've been so angry with us, and we didn't know what else to do, but give you space."

He watched as several emotions passed over Hawke's face, from surprise, to anger, then guilt, and back to anger. "We all thought we would go hunt these Crows, finish it so that Little Dove could come home, but all we've done is act like she died," Varric finished.

He didn't know what else to say, and Hawke looked up at him, the fire of anger burning in his eyes. "Are you done?" he asked, and Varric nodded unhappily.

"I'll apologize, because it has taken me so long to get myself in order," Hawke said, looking between the two of them from his seat. "Yes, I was angry at everyone, and yes, I couldn't handle seeing anyone. I said I needed space and I did."

"All right," Aveline replied, unsure of his point.

"But."

The pair looked to him, hearing the determination and surety in his voice now, happy to hear it again, though wondering what he would say.

"I'm not going to hunt the Crows. You can if you wish, but I will not."

"Hawke?" Varric asked, baffled.

Garrett stood now, running his hand through his tousled hair. "I __am__ angry, but not at all of you. I'm angry with Cat."

"You are?" Aveline asked in surprise.

Hawke nodded. "She left me, yes, but she left __us.__ The crew. She didn't believe in us, didn't trust us to help." He looked back up at the ceiling helplessly, and yet still angry. "It's true, that we didn't know how to handle things, but we would have gotten there. We could have gone hunting those Crows all together.

"Instead," he continued as he began pacing the floor, "she is given an opportunity to run, and she snatched it up without thinking of how it would affect us, without so much as an explanation, without even a goodbye!" He stopped, and turned to the two of them. "And it __infuriates__ me," he growled.

"I assumed, and perhaps that is where I went wrong," Hawke continued. "But I assumed that everyone would be talking of how much they missed her, or apologizing to me, or trying to make me feel better. And I didn't want to fight with any of my friends because of how I was feeling. Even now, knowing I don't want to be angry, I still am. I can't seem to get rid of it."

He paced again, coming up to the wall, where he reared back and punched it, causing the healing scabs on his knuckles to bleed again. "I'm making myself sick thinking of her, worrying about her… and I wonder sometimes- if I see her again, will I pull her into my arms, or will I strike out? The fact that I have no idea worries me a little."

He turned to them again, giving a small humorless laugh. "It's not often one sees Varric Tethras, speechless," he said.

"I.. uh, I wish I had known you were feeling this way," Varric said uncertainly. "I don't know what I would have done, but at least I could have been more understanding."

"I just barely figured it out myself," Hawke replied. "I've been out of sorts for awhile now… ever since I heard her say to Merrill that she loved me," he admitted. "I've been confused and elated, and overwhelmed, and yes, angry and jealous and possessive," he said with a tiny smirk. "It's exhausting. And I can't do it anymore… but more importantly, I don't want to."

"I'm fairly certain feelings don't just go away because you want them to," Aveline spoke up gently. "I've been through that wringer myself."

"Yes, that's true," Hawke replied. "But I decided not to let them rule me any longer. Cat's not even here, so trying to figure that all out is no longer necessary at this time. If she comes back, I'll figure it out then. For now? I'm just trying to not be angry."

"I think your friends might be able to help you with that," Varric said with a smile. "Not to mention, this city practically needs a nanny," he added, and was pleased that Hawke gave a genuine laugh this time.

"It's funny only because it is so true," he said, still chuckling. "What do think I've been doing all this time?! If it's not slavers, its blood mages, Meredith and her templars, the carta, or corrupt nobles all trying to take over the city. You'd think they would see the problems I'm having and decide to go find a better one!"

They laughed for a moment, shaking their heads at the irony of it all, before Hawke came forward, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Come on, let's go find the others, and put our crew to rights."

"Best idea I think you've ever had Hawke," Aveline said with a smile.

After speaking for a time,they split up, Aveline practically shoving Hawke toward Fenris' home in order to speak with him privately. She volunteered to fetch Anders, and then Sebastian on their way back, and Varric offered to go to the alienage for Merrill, saying she would helpful in getting a drunk Isabela to come along.

Hawke agreed, and called Hafter to join him. They would all gather at Fenris' mansion and have the talk that he had been putting off for awhile. He worried that after everything they had been through, his friends wouldn't be happy with his attitude towards Cat, but after speaking with Varric and Aveline, he had more hope.

Of course, Varric and Aveline were not the same as Isabela, Fenris and Anders. He had once told Cat that he wanted to know her like those three did, precisely because of the special bond they seemed to have.

* * *

Zevran lifted his eyes even as he sheathed his daggers and listened intently. Even he could admit that he was a much better assassin than he had been previously, even months before. Being hunted and tracked by the Crows added the necessity for him to be even more stealthy, if he wanted to stay alive of course.

Where once he enjoyed company and the pleasures of such, now he spent his time alone, and in a constant state of awareness that kept him on edge, and alive. He thought back to the months of tracking, hardly sleeping and staying out of contact that he had gone through, and was resolute that he find what he needed to finish this chase once and for all.

He began moving, having heard nothing after his kill, but he would have been surprised if someone had noticed him. He knew there were several more inside, and so he waited. They would lead him directly to where he needed to be- he simply had to be patient.

* * *

Climbing a mountain wasn't high on Cat's to do list, but she couldn't help but enjoy the time. She spoke with Leliana about everything and everyone, including Zevran and what he would be up to.

Leliana didn't have much insight there, since she hadn't heard from Zev in quite awhile, but based on what Cat told her, she surmised that he was continuing to wage his personal war on the Crows, and somehow they had gained information on her that was allowing them to fight back. Her faith in the assassin helped Cat feel better about the whole situation.

Cat had questioned her decision to leave several times, and Leliana let her. She could have played devil's advocate, and had in fact at first, but Cat knowing that she had left to keep her friends safe didn't help her feel right about it, so Leliana stayed quiet.

Eventually, Cat changed the subject, asking Leliana about her work with the Chantry, Mother Dorothea, and the Seekers of Truth. If she was surprised at Cat's knowledge, she didn't show it, and spoke for awhile about what was happening in her life. She mentioned how Divine Beatrix had named Dorothea as her successor, and how the two of them had gone to speak to Cassandra Pentaghast about the future.

"Did you like her?" Cat asked, interrupting Leliana's train of thought.

"Cassandra?" Leliana asked, and then nodded. "I did, very much. She and I have differing ways of thinking or points of view, but I agreed with Mother Dorothea, that we would work well together. Our strengths can work together to do much good."

Seeing Cat's smile, she continued. "Do __you__ know of her then?" she asked.

"Yes," Cat replied. "Dorothea is able to convince her to continue to be the Right Hand of the Divine during her reign, while you will be her Left." Cat looked over, seeing Leliana's look of pleasure. "She'll be a great Divine from what I can remember, though my so called knowledge is practically at its end."

Leliana looked at her friend, feeling Cat was lying, but uncertain if it was the comment of her knowledge or the type of Divine Dorothea would be. "Why do you say that?" she asked vaguely.

"This story, that I was told about Thedas… it is almost done, and so my knowledge will be as well," Cat answered. "There is some more about Kirkwall, and the fight between mages and templars, and its aftermath. But even then… its been five years since I've heard it Leli," Cat explained. "I know there are things I am not remembering correctly, if at all."

"I… see," Leliana answered. "I'm sure that would be disconcerting."

Cat turned with a smirk. "To say the least." She heaved a sigh, "I'd rather not think of that just now," she said. "Quick, tell me something to distract me."

Leliana smiled, and shook her head. "Very well…" she said as she thought of just the thing. "Some time ago, I received a letter from Sten."

Cat whipped her head around to look at her in shock. "Seriously? I never thought Sten wrote to you!"

"It doesn't happen often, it's true," Leliana conceded. "But this was a special case. It seems he had been made the Arishok, and was going through interviews and such to ascertain what had happened to the previous one."

"Oh…" Cat mumbled.

"Yes, your name came up, and he was curious enough to find out if it was truly you. I made sure he knew that you were merely a friend of those involved."

"Leli, that's not exactly accurate…" Cat said, feeling guilty.

"Yes, well, what else was I supposed to say, when he asked about why there was writing of an Isabela and Kitty written inside their sacred text?" she continued with a smirk, seeing Cat's mouth drop open.

"You're…. kidding. Right? Please tell me you are joking with me right now."

"Unfortunately, I am not. He didn't seem too angry, in fact he wanted to speak to you about it personally."

"Maker save me," Cat breathed, her hand on her rapidly beating heart. "Sten wants to __kill__ me, doesn't he?!"

"No, silly. He actually seemed somewhat amused, if I take his tone correctly. He said something about how it will serve as a reminder to his people that though they do not understand bas women, they should not underestimate them."

"If and when you reply, please convey my sincere apologies. I had nothing to do with that, and the next time I see Isabela, I'm going to smack her upside the head," Cat replied even as she rubbed her temples.

Leliana laughed, the musical sound of it helping Cat calm herself, until she too eventually was laughing. "I can't believe she did that! And why did she have to put __my name__ too?!" Cat exclaimed through her laughter.

They fell into silence as the climb became a little steeper, and they got closer to their goal. Leliana came to a stop, and turned to Cat. "So, we're almost there. I guess the only thing to decide now, is if we go in the front, or see who can get the furthest before getting caught?" she said in challenge.

"Haven't you been here before?" Cat asked wryly. "That's puts me at a disadvantage."

Leliana smirked, and looked around. "Very well, we'll go in together, and split up from there. I'll give you the layout of the building, but I am certain things have changed since I was last here."

"Sounds fair," Cat agreed. "And what does the winner get?"

"Hmm, you'll owe me one, I guess?" Leliana smiled.

"Or you'll owe me one," Cat replied, eyes narrowed.

"Of course, of course!" Leliana laughed. "Let's go!"

* * *

Anders didn't even spare Aveline a glance. "I don't have time for you now," he said resuming his furious writing.

"Again, this isn't for me. Hawke is gathering everyone. You're part of the crew Anders, so you should come."

"Hawke can just fill me in later," Anders said flippantly. "I've got to finish this."

She looked over at him, baffled. She knew Anders could be hardheaded at times, but she never knew him to ignore his friends. Usually he was lonely enough from hiding that he joined anytime they were getting together, even if it wasn't all of them.

"Can't you finish it later?" she asked. "Or maybe we can help… or something?" He did turn at that, giving her an incredulous look. "Okay… maybe not. Look, it's just that Varric was confronting Hawke about what happened with Cat… and a lot was said. I think you'll regret not being there."

Anders put down his quill, rolling his eyes. "You won't let this go, will you?" he asked.

"Probably not," she admitted. "I can be stubborn too, you know."

He stood then, covering his ink bottle, and putting the quill away. "Fine," he said. He stood, moving across the room as he rolled his shoulders. He pointed to a couple of boxes, and asked, "can you grab those for me? Might as well take the delivery to the Rose while I'm out."

"You're still doing that?" Aveline asked in surprise.

"Why would I stop?" he asked, giving her a look. "It's my source of income."

"I don't know, I guess I thought it was Cat's thing that's all. I didn't mean anything by it."

He glared at her for a moment or two before sighing. "Yeah, it is. And we were partners in this, so I'll keep it up." He grabbed his coat, throwing it on, and grabbing his staff, as she carted the boxes over to the door.

"I'm right behind you," he said, and turned toward a curtained area, knocking on the post. A nervous looking man peeked out, and had Aveline wondering who he was.

"I'm going out for awhile," Anders said softly. "and meeting with the Champion. I'll extinguish the lamps, so you won't be bothered."

He received a nod, and noticed the other man's fearful look toward Aveline. "She's a guard, not a templar, and she's a friend," Anders said easily. "You have no reason to fear, Adrius." Waiting until he nodded, looking relieved, Anders then turned and made his way back to Aveline, and they left the clinic.

Anders took a moment to secure the door and extinguish the lamp hanging outside. He waited, knowing Aveline would ask before long.

"So who is he?" she asked once they were leaving the area.

"Hmm, you held back longer than I thought you could," he said with a hint of a smile. "Someone Hawke saved," he answered, "from being made tranquil."

She frowned in thought, and he knew she would want to know- for her own sense of justice. He also knew that while she followed the laws, she had a deep sense of honor, and used that in place of laws or people in power that were wrong.

"He saved a civilian who was injured, using magic. It was deemed that he did not have permission to do so, so the Knight Commander declared that he be made tranquil."

"What?!" Aveline raged. "Surely he should have been commended, not punished!"

"Agreed," Anders said, able to relax a little more than he had in several days. "Which is why someone leaked the information to Hawke, and he came to me. The mage underground was able to get him out before the sentence was carried out."

"Thank the Maker for small mercies," she replied, as she glanced at him. "I know you and I don't always see things eye to eye," she said. "But, I would never report your clinic, or the mage underground. Even I can see the good that you are doing there."

Anders' eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Just… don't make me regret it, all right?" she continued, and he chuckled.

 _ _That was more like the Aveline he knew,__ he thought. "I'll do my best," he said.

* * *

"Are you drunk?" Hawke asked.

"Who cares?" Fenris replied, rolling his eyes, and turning around to walk away from the door. He swayed a little, the only indication that he had had too much of his wine.

"I do," Hawke replied, as he let himself and Hafter in the house, and closed the door behind them. "I know things haven't been… ideal lately…" he said, stopping when he heard Fenris snort in derision.

" _ _Ideal__ …" Fenris repeated, flopping down in a chair, and raising the wine bottle to his lips to take another few swallows. "Just get it over with Hawke."

"Okay…" Garrett said, feeling as if Fenris wouldn't be accepting his apology. Perhaps he was too late after all, and Aveline was mistaken. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Fenris spat out. "But that doesn't matter, does it?"

"What?" Hawke asked, baffled.

"I did what I thought was right, for everyone. It is obvious I am not strong enough to keep her safe. I could not keep my promises, and do not deserve forgiveness."

"Wait, just wait," Hawke said, trying to make sense of Fenris' rant. "What are you saying?"

"Fenedhis!" Fenris exclaimed. "Just order me to leave, or whatever you're going to do Hawke. I can't take this any more!"

Garrett stepped back, the words taking him completely by surprise. __Was I really so self involved that I didn't notice his suffering?__ he asked himself.

"Fenris…" he started softly, even as Hafter moved over to nudge Fenris' arm with his snout. "I don't… blame you. For anything."

Fenris looked up at that, shocked as well, and disbelieving. "How can you not?" he croaked. "I have blamed you," he admitted begrudgingly.

"See?" Hawke said, then the words sunk in. "Wait, what? What do you blame me for?" he asked, taking a seat nearby on the stairs.

Fenris sighed, rapping his head on the back of the chair. "For letting your emotions guide your actions. For being the type of man she couldn't help but love. For not trusting her."

"Trusting?!" Hawke said angrily. "I'm not the one who left!"

Fenris looked up at him, his bloodshot eyes seeming to glare through him. "And if your positions were reversed? You would not have left to protect her, and all of us?" he asked, his words slurring slightly. "You cannot tell me you wouldn't. It is her greatest fear, though I do not understand why."

"I don't want to get into it now, because everyone is headed here," Hawke said with a sigh. "I'd rather only do this once." He stood and walked over to Fenris, putting out his hand to help him up. "We'd better get you sobered up a bit before they all show up. I know how you hate to not be seen at your best."

Fenris looked at his hand, then up to his face. "You don't hate me?" he asked, to be certain.

"No," Hawke replied. "You… all of you, are my friends, my family. I need you."

Fenris nodded, and reached out, taking Hawke's outstretched hand.


	89. Chapter 89- Meeting the Assassin

Zevran moved silently and swiftly, entering through an open window on the second story. He could hear his targets downstairs, and his focus became razor sharp. He moved with a lilting grace, his steps light as he crossed the room, and cracked the door.

The voices were directly below him, and he stayed in the shadows even as he opened the door wide enough to pass through. He heard talk of others, and smiled to himself as he realized he could potentially receive the information he needed that night.

His eyes tracked the area in front of him, looking for the best possible vantage point, and finally settling for where he already was standing. The shadows were thickest here, and if anyone were to come upstairs, he could easily duck back into the room he came from.

He could attack without them realizing, or leave without them ever knowing he had been there. He did like having options, though he knew he was in the mood for action that night. He had the scent- he was close, so very close.

He leaned back against the wall, his head bowed, as he listened intently.

* * *

Cat looked around the room that Leliana had left her in. She moved over to the closet, looking for a disguise. She was not a master in stealth, and could hardly blend in like Leliana could. If she wanted to win this, she knew she would need subterfuge.

Smiling widely at the clothes hanging in the closet, she thanked whoever was looking out for her. There was a full outfit of warden mage armor, which looked like it might actually fit her, if not a little big. She was extremely glad, not only to have a disguise but to be able to change out of Isabela's outfit. Escaping in it hadn't been a problem, but she didn't want to see her friends when she was practically running around in her smalls.

She kept quiet as she changed, hoping she was putting everything on correctly. It was snug in a few places and big in others, but fit well enough, so she smiled. Her plan may not be what Leliana had in mind, but the goal was to reach Duran and surprise him. Having someone lead her there wasn't outside the rules.

She hid her own clothes under the bed, not wanting them to be discovered too early, and moved to the door, opening it, and peeking out. With no one in sight, she started down the hallway, trying to look like she belonged. That was the key. If she looked like she knew where she was going, no one should question her.

Cat wasn't as successful as she wanted to be, mainly because she wanted to look at everything. She had not been to Soldier's Peak before, and was so curious about the decisions that Duran made here. She glanced upward, wondering if Avernus was still in the top floor, experimenting.

She had no doubt that Duran would not let him experiment on wardens, but perhaps he let the mage live to experiment ethically. She'd have to remember to ask him. As she walked, she passed by several individuals and small groups, who looked at her oddly.

Realizing that they would not be able to sense her, because she wasn't tainted like a warden would be, she decided to ask for directions to Duran, before she was interrogated by others. After a few more turns and a flight of stairs, she found herself in what looked like an armory.

She looked around in awe, there were so many armor sets hanging on dress forms, and weapon stands all through the room. She had no idea that the wardens were so well fitted, and wondered if all warden keeps were like this, or if it was because of Duran's leadership.

She was bumped into, as more people entered the room, and she gave an apology as she moved out of the way.

"And this is the armory," she heard a familiar voice say, and she turned toward a rack of weapons, pretending to inspect them. As the new group moved into the room, she turned slightly to peek at who was speaking.

Her eyes widened at seeing Carver Hawke, looking older, competent, and if she had to guess… content. She decided to leave quickly before he noticed her, and she moved out of the room at an unhurried pace, so as not to attract attention.

She reminded herself that Duran wasn't the only one that could recognize her as she continued on down the hallway. Deciding that Duran's office was most likely up higher in the fortress, she started looking for stairs.

"Can I help you?" she heard a voice ask, and turned to it, seeing a young looking man in plain clothes.

"I'm sorry," she replied with a smile. "I have a message for the commander, and I'm afraid I've gotten all turned around."

He smiled back at her in return. "It happens to everyone when they first arrive," he said kindly. "I can take you there, if you'd follow me."

"That's very kind, but I don't want to take you from your work," she answered.

"I am passing near there on my way, it is no trouble," he said. "I'd hate for you to wander somewhere you shouldn't."

Cat's eyebrow raised, but she nodded and started following after him. __I wonder what that means? Do they actually have areas that are off limits? Or do they simply say things to keep others away from sensitive materials? Interesting…__ she mused, reminding herself to ask Duran about it later.

* * *

Hawke looked around the room at his crew. He could admit now that things were not only different, but strained because Cat wasn't there. It had been weeks since they were all together like this, and the moment was awkward.

No one was speaking, except when Varric would randomly comment- trying to get a conversation going. Hawke thought they all had to be wondering the same thing that Aveline had asked… __are we still your crew?__ he could practically hear it in his mind.

The guilt was rising up and almost swallowing him. He didn't know what to say to make it better, and he didn't know how to share what he was truly feeling. But if any of them felt like Fenris did… he had to make sure that they knew he didn't blame them.

Hawke cleared his throat, and since no one was talking, they all turned to look at him immediately. He stammered a bit, before steeling himself- and deciding to just speak what was in his mind- and his heart.

"I just wanted to get you all together, and say, I'm sorry," he started. He could tell from their faces that Merrill already forgave him, and the others hadn't passed judgement yet. He didn't know why that eased him, but it did.

"I have gone through most of my life controlling my emotions for fear of what it would unleash from my magic, and it has become a habit. These last few years, I have found that having such strong relationships brings even stronger emotions to the surface, and it is something that I am neither used to, nor quite comfortable with."

He walked over to his chair, grabbing the back of it instead of sitting down in it. He looked around at them as he spoke. "Especially as it deals with Cat. Many of you have asked me before, what I wanted, or what my intentions were and I answered that I didn't know, and to be completely forthright- I still don't. I have had no experience with this, and it unnerves and worries me."

He sighed, looking down at his hands. "The emotions that everything involving her brings are so potent and wild. It scares me most of the time, and I do and say things that I feel instead of what may be best. I've spent the past few weeks trying to get all of that in check, and I am sorry for not just telling you all, as I assumed you would either pity me, or bring those emotions back to the surface."

Hawke stopped there, seeing the others looking to each other. Isabela and Fenris were giving each other a look that the other should say something, and finally Fenris decided he would.

"I am sorry too," he spoke up, and the others turned to him. "I felt that I was to blame for Cat leaving, and causing Hawke so much pain. After speaking with him before you all arrived, I think we have all made assumptions that we shouldn't have."

He turned back to Isabela, seeing her nod slightly.

"This crew is special," Sebastian spoke up. "Cat felt that too, or she wouldn't have left to try to protect us." He could sense the tension that came from his statement, and continued. "I doubt that in the same situation, any of us would have done differently."

"That's the problem, isn't it?" Aveline asked the room, though it was aimed at Hawke. "We are used to fixing problems that come, and we can't this time- she has taken that from us." She looked down. "I admit, I have been a little angry that she just left. I didn't really see it, until Hawke said he felt that way, and I realized that that was what it was."

"Speaking from experience as one who left," Isabela said in a disparaging tone, "it can also be an emotional decision made in a moment, which doesn't mean it is the best idea." She looked around at the faces of the others. "We can yell at her when she gets back, but for now? We should look at this from her perspective. Her past is coming to get her, and we all have been in the crossfire."

She pointed to Hawke. "Can you honestly say that it wasn't affecting us? We were hurt over and over again, every time those Crows came at us. And she thought it was her fault. Could you stand by, watching people you care for getting hurt because of you?" she asked.

"No," Hawke answered, as he moved to fall into his chair. "I never said it made sense! I'm just so angry, and I can't seem to get rid of it!"

"You were angry with me about that relic," Isabela said with a wry smirk. "And look where we are now."

"The point is," Anders interrupted. "That things have changed, and we have to change with them." He looked over at Hawke. "No one is saying you can't or shouldn't be upset, and in fact a lot of us have similar feelings. BUT," he stressed, "we can't just ignore everyone and everything around us either."

"We need each other," Merrill said with a smile. "We're better together than we are apart."

"Kitten, that was almost too sweet," Isabela said. "You know we won't be together forever."

"We won't?" she asked sadly.

"Eventually life will take us in other directions," Varric said to Merrill. "But we can still be friends, still call on each other when we need help." Varric looked to Hawke now too. "AND, we'll remind the little dove of that when we see her again."

A sudden noise had everyone looking up, a cloaked figure jumping over the balcony, landing on the stair railing, and sliding down a bit before jumping again to land in front of the large fireplace.

"Who are you!" Fenris demanded as he rose quickly to, and the stranger merely reached behind himself to pull out twin daggers.

"Another Crow?!" Anders exclaimed in exasperation. "When will they give up?!"

"Where is she?" the stranger asked, his elongated cowl blocking his face from view, his cloak stopping the light from the fire from emanating into the room.

"We don't know!" Sebastian yelled, pulling out his bow to aim it at the man. "And we wouldn't tell you if we did!"

The others were all standing now, weapons out and aimed. Chairs had fallen down in their haste, and yet they could see the wicked smile the stranger was wearing.

Hawke released a spell with a yell, and the man moved, sliding easily behind Fenris as the spell followed him. Fenris gave a grunt as the Petrify spell hit him, not having time to use his tattoos to repel the magic, and he was frozen in place.

Varric aimed as the stranger kept moving, shooting a rhyming triplet, Bianca shifting in his hands as he tried to kill the intruder. He moved right past Aveline and Merrill, Aveline barely getting her shield up before the bolts could strike either of them.

"Varric, watch it!" she yelled at the dwarf.

"Sor-" he called back, even as the man tackled him to the ground, interrupting his apology.

" _ _MY__ little dove _…_ " the stranger snarled at him, one of his daggers held to Varric's face. _"_ Where is she _ _?!"__

"Balls…" Isabela muttered, as she shrouded herself in shadow, moving toward Varric. She stopped suddenly as one of the man's dagger filled hands pointed at her before she could get close, though he hadn't turned his head. __How did he know where I was?__ she thought, as the shadows disappeared from around her. __Only one I know of that could do that…__ "Zev?" she asked.

"You know him Isabela?" Hawke asked, holding back the spirit bolt he was about to fling at the man.

"Isabela?" the armored stranger spoke, now turning slightly to glance at her.

"Zev… I can't believe it," she replied, re-sheathing her daggers, and turning towards Fenris to check on him, everyone holding off on attacking as they watched her. "Shouldn't you be dead by now?" she asked.

Varric breathed a little easier, knowing now who was holding a dagger to his throat. He took a few deep breaths as the assassin moved to stand.

"I could say the same of you, my dear," the assassin replied, sheathing his own daggers, and reaching up to remove his cowl, which Varric could now see resembled a bird's beak. The man, __no… elf__ …Varric could see, gave a smirk, though it seemed forced to Hawke as he looked around at each of them, before zeroing in on Hawke.

"It seems we both have found powerful friends, have we not?" he asked, and his smile grew as Hawke stayed where he was, his arm out and his spell ready.

Zevran didn't even flinch, as Hawke released a spell, and the petrify spell over Fenris vanished in the dispelling magic that was released. The Champion and the assassin stared at each other, neither one willing to step back.

"Maker's Balls," Isabela interrupted, stepping between them. "Men…" she groused as she turned to each of them in turn. "Hawke, this is Zevran Arainai, a former crow, a friend, and the one who brought Kitty into my life, and therefore into all of yours."

She turned the other way, gesturing to Hawke. "Zev, this is Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, a friend, and who leads the crew Kitty and I joined when we were stranded here."

The two continued to stare each other down, though Zevran's smirk grew. "It is so like you to not only change her name to suit yourself, but to surround yourself with beautiful people," Zevran said.

"We've heard much, and yet very little about you," Anders spoke up as he moved behind Hawke. "You helped the Hero of Ferelden end the blight."

"That is true," Zevran said with a little bow. "Though the current scourge on the land of my birth has me more concerned at the present."

"Scourge?" Varric asked, as he stood. Zevran glanced over to him with a frown, and didn't reply.

"A scourge on Antiva?" Hawke asked, noting the snub and Varric's confused expression. "You mean the Crows?" he asked.

"Yes," Zevran replied with a nod. "It started as my own personal vendetta, but now…? There are too many others being dragged into my fight."

Fenris, having finally shaken off the feeling of the magic used on him, though accidentally, joined Anders behind Hawke, and Isabela moved out of the middle, and closer to Zevran. Sebastian, Merrill, Aveline and Varric began picking up chairs, and sitting down as they listened.

Fenris took the moment to speak up. "Cat had mentioned something about the Crows coming after you, because you left?" he asked the shorter elf, who looked up with appraising eyes, and a charming smile.

"The rumors of the Champion being a fine specimen of manhood I understand, by why are your companions not spoken of in the city as well?" he asked flirtatiously, and Hawke, Fenris and Anders all became flustered, causing Isabela to laugh robustly.

"They try not to attract attention, Zev," she explained. "Mages and runaway slaves aren't looked upon with approval here in Kirkwall."

"A shame, for certain," he replied, giving them a wink. "But to answer your question, yes. Once I decided that I no longer would be an assassin for the Crows, they decided that my life was forfeit. I would have left them alone, but they continue to send others after me."

"Not you any more," Hawke said seriously, his eyes narrowing.

"No," Zevran agreed, his smile gone. "They have taken their revenge too far, and will pay- once I find my dove and insure her safety."

"We weren't lying, we don't know where she is," Aveline spoke up, wondering to herself if Hawke was trusting the pretty, yet dangerous elf. She was fairly sure that Isabela vouching for him meant he could be trusted, but she wasn't all the way convinced yet.

"The Crows will not care," he answered her. "They will torture any of you to discover what you know."

"They haven't come back since the Little Dove left," Varric spoke up, and was surprised again at the sneer he received in return.

"I killed two of them outside before I let myself in," Zevran answered him coldly.

"Leave Varric alone Zev," Isabela said with a wry smile. "It isn't his fault that Kitty told him your pet name for her." Zev rolled his eyes as he turned away, even as Varric's widened in understanding.

Zevran turned back to Hawke. "Will you tell me what you can about her leaving?" he asked.

Hawke looked back, uncertain he wanted to share anything about Cat with the elf. He knew so little about him, and yet from what little he knew, he gathered how important he was to Cat.

He had felt simultaneously embarrassed and pleased when Zevran had complimented him and his crew, and he began to wonder what Cat would have been like around the elf. He knew Cat missed signals, missed the interest that other men had- __she couldn't have missed this… right? So what did that mean?__

"Will you tell me your plan if I do?" Hawke finally replied.

"Certainly," Zevran answered, his smirk back in place. "After I know where she is, I plan to find the one that ordered her taken, and after I kill him, I will kill any that were given orders to take her- down to the last man."

Hawke heard Merrill gasp, but when he looked up, she was smiling. "Then she can come home!" she whispered excitedly to Aveline, who smiled back.

"I wasn't there when she left," Hawke said, turning back to Zevran. "Fenris and Isabela were though," he continued gesturing to Fenris. He turned to look at his friend. "I think it's time we all heard the story," he said.

"Are you certain?" Fenris asked, and Hawke sighed and nodded. Fenris moved over to grab a chair, offering it to Hawke. "Very well," he replied. "Sit down then." He turned to Zevran. "Cat would hurt me if I didn't offer you food, if you need it?" he asked.

"You would feed me, yourself?" Zev asked with a smile, causing Fenris to cough embarrassingly. "I am fine, thank you," he continued, even as he grinned. "I am more interested in your information."

"As you wish," Fenris replied, looking over at Isabela, who gestured for him to go ahead. "We took Cat to a duke's estate for a wyvern hunt for her name day, and we all became separated…" he began.

* * *

"Leliana you say?" Zevran asked as he paced in front of the fire. "You are certain?"

"She offered, and Kitty went," Isabela replied. "We've had Crows showing up here for over half a year now, and not getting any closer to finding the source. None of them will talk."

"Perhaps we haven't found the right incentive," Zevran answered, his features flat and his tone cool.

"I'm not one for torture," Hawke explained with a frown. "Besides, with all the men that never return, surely they will stop coming soon."

Zevran looked over at him, incredulous. "You think the Crows are as common mercenaries? They are not. And, it is no longer that simple."

"What do you mean?" Varric asked. Zevran glanced at him, though he no longer gave a sneer, Varric was certain he wasn't forgiven yet.

"One of the guild masters was certainly the one to give the original job. After so many failures, it is now a matter of reputation, not money. The Crows cannot accept failure, it would be admitting a weakness, and would be their end. The esteem granted upon completion is a prize any assassin would want. I can only hope the original master hasn't enlisted others. A former assassin against a guild is one thing… against all the guilds? Suicide."

Hawke could see the strain on the elf's face as he spoke, and he felt a few of his defenses lowering. It was obvious that he was invested, and willing to continue, even if it were suicide.

Isabela cleared her throat. "Do you have any information on the original guild?" she asked.

"Very little," he replied. "I have been finding the members in several areas… it seems they are not sharing information with each other, which works well for me. However, returning to the guild without the prize would mean death, so they will not lead me to the source. And they have been very… loyal in keeping their secrets thus far."

"So your torture hasn't been successful then?" Hawke asked with a smirk of his own.

"No," came the disgruntled reply.

"Do we know what information they have on Cat?" Aveline asked. "If they are in many places, they don't know she is here specifically."

"I am sorry, I do not know," Zevran answered.

"Hawke," Fenris said, causing the others to look to where he stood in front of the fire.

"Fenris?" Hawke asked.

"I want to go with him," Fenris said as he turned around. "I want to hunt these men and destroy this threat to us."

Hawke looked at his friend in surprise. "But what about your own plans, your family?" he asked, knowing Fenris was still trying to gather information on his sister in Tevinter.

"You- this… is my family, and I do not want to simply wait to be attacked again." Hawke smiled, finding it hard not to be touched at the words.

"I can appreciate the thought," Zevran spoke up. "But I work alone."

"Obviously not always," Anders spoke up. "You traveled with Duran for a time, so you know how to work with others. Fenris will be a huge benefit to you." He looked embarrassed as Hawke and several others gaped at him. "I want Cat to come home too," he stressed. "And if I can't go, I can trust Fenris to get the job done."

"That's a little unnerving," Varric muttered.

"It may be strange hearing it from Anders, but he wasn't wrong," Hawke said with a smile to Zevran. "Fenris is an amazing warrior, with keen instincts and fatal talents. And the ability to be quiet enough to travel with an assassin."

Zevran glanced to his left at the sound of a chuckle. The dwarf saw him glance at him, and spoke up. "He means, he can sneak up and rip someone's heart out without any problems."

Zevran glanced back to the taller elf, seeing the determination on his face, and he gave a charming smile. "I could tell immediately that you have stolen many hearts," he said with a wink, causing Fenris to look down, embarrassed at the attention.

"I'll go too," Isabela said, having been silently going back and forth on the subject since before Fenris offered. "I need a good fight, and someone is going to have to keep an eye on Fenris, otherwise Zev may decide to keep him."

Fenris glowered at her words, while Zevran gave a smirk and a helpless shrug.

"Are you sure about this?" Hawke asked.

"Yeah," she replied, coming up to him. "I miss Kitty too, and I'll have fun getting rid of these bastards that are keeping her away."

"I am certain she will enjoy that part as well," Zevran said as he stood up to stretch.

"What?" Hawke asked, standing as well to face the elf.

"My Dove," Zevran said, in explanation. "She will enjoy getting back at the bastards that have caused her such grief."

"We don't know where she is…" Hawke stated slowly. "And if we did, we would be keeping her __away__ from the Crows, not taking her to them."

Zevran eyebrow went up, as he looked at Hawke again. "We do know where she is," he retorted, "it is quite obvious." He copied Hawke's stance, and stood taller, though he knew he couldn't actually compete with the man in height, he could look intimidating. "And we do not keep the Little Dove from anything, she decides what she will do."

Hawke raised himself up a little more, crossing his arms over his chest. "If it were obvious, we would already be where she is," he said with heat. "And she has almost been killed several times!"

Zevran mimicked the pose again. "I see…" he answered, his voice cold. "You do not trust her to watch over herself, nor you or your crew to ensure she stays alive?" he said, more of a statement than a question. "I wonder if she knows how afraid you are."

"Afraid?!" Hawke responded angrily. "There is nothing wrong with trying to prevent my crew from getting killed!"

"No… no there is not…" Zevran answered, relaxing his stance, and contemplating. "Do you stand in front of all of them?" he asked. "Or just her?"

Hawke was startled at the question, and surprised that the others were looking at him, as if they wanted the answer as well.

"My crew are the finest fighters in the free marches," he said proudly. "I don't stand in front of any of them."

"Of course," Zevran said with a slight nod. "My apologies."

"Uh… Do you really know where Cat is?" Merrill said, breaking the awkward silence in the room after a few moments.

Zevran turned to look at her, and smiled. "But of course. Leliana would take her to her friends, for that is where she will feel safest," he said.

"The wardens," Anders said under his breath, and Zevran nodded, having heard him.

"Yes, the wardens."

* * *

"Here we are," the man said, pointing to the large solitary door in the hall.

"Thank you very much," Cat replied, her anticipation growing. She walked over, wondering if she should knock, then decided that since she already knew the warden's secrets, and the surprise would be greater if she just walked in.

Reaching for the door handle, she turned it and opened the door. She looked inside, her eyes meeting Duran's as he sat at his desk in front of her, and sensing movement to her left, her eyes went wide as she took in Nate, his bow and knocked arrow pointed straight at her.

"Wait-!" he called, as something on her right came rushing to her.

* * *

Nathaniel dropped his bow, and moved quickly for the door, even as Alistair pulled back his shield.

"That was easier than I expected," Alistair said, as he put his shield back on his back.

"Because it wasn't an assassin," Nathaniel growled as he knelt down in front of the fallen woman. "That shield bash was pretty hard," he complained.

"I should go easy on an intruder?" Alistair asked in shock, looking down as Nathaniel rolled the woman over. "Ancestors…" he said as he took in the face. "It's Cat!" he exclaimed, even as Duran reached them.

"What in the world…" Duran said, taking in her face, the fact she was there… alone and unannounced, and that she was in warden attire.

"Surprise!"

The call came from over at the window, as Leliana jumped into the room, her hands up in joy. Everything suddenly made sense, and Duran slapped his palm to his forehead.

"You put her up to this, didn't you?" he asked the redhead, who came over to see what the fuss was.

"Oh my…" she said, her hand over her mouth. She turned to the three males and asked. "What did you do?"

"You know very well that sneaking in is a good way to get yourself killed as an assassin!" Alistair exclaimed hotly.

"So you did it then," Leliana mused, as she bent down over her friend. "Ah, a disguise… how clever. Looks like she won."

Duran hit his forehead again. "Only you, Leliana… only you."

She smiled at him sweetly, leaning over to touch his cheek. "Hello my friend," she said. "I brought you a surprise visitor."

"So I see." Duran looked over at Nathaniel. "Will she be all right?" he asked.

"Yes," he answered, as he reached under her to pick her up off the floor. He stood, taking her over to the small couch on the wall. None of them ever sat in it, it was too small and uncomfortable for him and Alistair, and Duran would only use it when he was alone.

Nathaniel was somewhat surprised she didn't fit on it either, she had always seemed so petite to him. Since that didn't work, he merely picked her up again and turned to sit, with her in his arms. "She'll have a massive headache for certain."

"Alistair, would you head down to find the healer please?" Duran asked, and the warrior nodded, as he left the room.

"So what happened?" Nathaniel asked Leliana, who looked back at him curiously. "We tried to get her to come visit some time ago, but she was very intent on staying with her… friends."

"Not that we aren't delighted to see you," Duran added. "But we all can see there is something else going on."

Leliana shrugged, __Cat probably wouldn't give the whole story anyway..__ she thought. So she moved over to pull chairs towards the couch, and sat, and began the story.


	90. Chapter 90- Soldier's Peak

*****Trigger warning for sexual assault. There is not a lot, but I didn't want to catch anyone off guard! Thnx!**

* * *

Alistair looked down at Cat's face, glad that the healer was able to right what his shield bash had skewed. Then he noticed how her eyelids fluttered, and how her movements in her sleep were odd and jerky.

"Is she all right?" he asked, and Leliana stopped speaking to look over as well.

"It looks like she's having a bad dream perhaps?" she said, stepping over to run her hand over Cat's hair to try to calm her.

"No… no…" Cat mumbled, and Leliana and the wardens exchanged glances.

"C'mon Cat, wake up now," Nathaniel said softly, giving her a little shake.

None of them expected it, when her eyes popped open and she screamed, twisting right out of Nathaniel's grip and falling on the floor at his feet. She scuttled away, practically sobbing, and none of them moved as they watched her in shock.

Cat looked around, hardly able to see, her mind still reliving her nightmare. She spotted what looked like a refuge can, and moved towards it, just in time to empty her stomach contents into it.

"Darling?" Leliana asked quietly, moving closer as her friend made retching noises. "What's happened?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as her mind whirled with possibilities.

Cat said nothing as she transitioned into dry heaving, her arm resting on the edge of the can, with her forehead on her arm. Her tears fell into the can, as she tried to calm her breathing.

She could hear Leliana speaking to her, and at the gentle touch on her back, she raised her head slightly. Leliana was there, a damp cloth in her hand, and she handed it over so Cat could wipe her face. Cat was simply too worn out to be embarrassed.

"Here, come sit down," Leliana said, offering to help Cat stand.

Cat followed, feeling suddenly hollow. She sat on the little sofa that she had crawled away from, noting that Nathaniel and Alistair were both keeping a slight distance from her, and she felt guilty.

Duran came closer, standing next to her, and grabbing her hand. "Cat?" he asked. "I don't want to sound insensitive, but… are you pregnant?" he asked.

Alistair and Nathaniel's mouths dropped open slightly, as they looked from Duran to Cat.

"No," she replied, and to her amusement, all three of the wardens seemed to sigh in relief.

"Not that that would be a problem of course," Duran added. "But I wanted to know what to tell the healers."

"Of course," she answered, smiling slightly. "No, it was just a bad dream, and it, uh… turned my stomach."

His eyebrow rose at her hesitation, and he merely looked at her, even as her eyes went anywhere but his face.

"Cat…" he said, his tone suggesting that she not try to lie to him.

"What?" she asked, finally meeting his gaze. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked, coming closer, and reaching out to touch her shoulder. She automatically shied back, and he looked surprised as he pulled his hand back.

"Sorry," she said, rubbing her arm in distraction. "Yes, I'm fine."

"I think it is obvious that you are not," Leliana added, as she moved to sit next to Cat. She frowned as she sat on the lumpy sofa. "Duran, when will you get rid of this horrid piece of furniture?"

"Well I like it fine," he answered with a smirk. "Besides, if it was very comfortable, I wouldn't get anyone to leave, would I?"

Leliana shook her head, and grabbed Cat's free hand. "Come dearest, it may be hard at first, but telling us will get it out, and let the wound start to heal."

"What wound? I said I'm fine," Cat replied, even as she started shaking.

"Yes, we can see that," Nathaniel said, bringing over another chair as Alistair righted the one that Leliana had previously been in. The two men took a seat, behind Duran, so as not to crowd her, but wanting to give her support as well.

"I think I can guess," Leliana said with a frown. "Would you like me to?"

Cat looked at her helplessly, before closing her eyes. She most definitely did not want to talk about it, most especially with her friends, but she supposed she couldn't let it fester inside her either, and she knew they wouldn't let it go. And they would understand without all the awful details.

"So coming to this wyvern hunt, your crew's objective was to get into the Keep," Leliana said.

"Yes," Cat replied, looking up at Duran. "The Duke was making some sort of deal with a Tal Vashoth, trying to gain a weapon to use against the Qunari people. We were trying to find it, but we needed to get in. The… uh…" she stopped and swallowed a couple of times before she could continue.

"The duke's son, had the key, and they were getting nowhere with lock picks."

"Ah yes," Leliana said, her eyes narrowing in on the cause of her friend's distress. She had tried multiple times to discover what was wrong out of Cat on their travels, but to no avail, and now she understood. She had been trying to forget.

"The duke's son had been fawning all over her the entire time," Leliana said, to give the wardens' a little context. "And from what I heard, had been saying he was going to have much more."

Cat's twitch and swallowed gagging noise, gave Leliana all the answer she needed. Duran, too, thought he had the right idea, and put his other hand atop the one of Cat's he currently held and asked, "What did the bastard do Cat?"

"The others tried to steal the key without any luck, so it was determined that I should get it. The plan was to go to a room with him, and have one of them come barging in almost immediately after, scaring the man, and causing a commotion in which I could get the key."

"But, that's not what happened?" Leliana asked gently.

"No," Cat replied. "We went into the room, and… no one came."

The silence seemed worse than getting it out, so she continued, looking at her hands which were being held by others and not seeing the tense and angry faces of her friends.

"I tried to get it anyway, and let him kiss me, hoping that would be a distraction enough. I had my hand on it, and was pulling it from his belt…"

She stopped, not wanting to feel it again, but she had no control there. She could still feel his fingers, still shuddered in shock as she had the first time. She pulled back, wanting not to feel, even in memory.

"I don't know how he moved so fast, but my dress was up around my waist, and he was grabbing at me, touching me. His fingers were in… inside…" she stopped there, as she started crying. The refuge can was suddenly there by her side, and she grabbed at it, her hands suddenly freed, and wishing she could rid herself of these memories as her stomach roiled and heaved, though nothing came out.

Leliana continued to run her hand down Cat's head, over and over. Her angry expression met with the thunderous expressions of the others.

"So you killed him then?" she asked sweetly, when the gagging stopped, and hearing Cat give a watery chuckle.

"No, though I wanted to," Cat replied, wiping her mouth with her sleeve, and giving a large sigh. "I didn't want to get into anything with Orlesians, and I was so afraid of Garrett finding out. I was shocked, and couldn't seem to move at first, to my ultimate shame."

"No-" the others' started, but she ruthlessly interrupted them.

"Yes! It is something I will forever question and regret! I got my wits about me, and I pushed him away, and I hit him several times, knocking him out."

Cat could tell they wanted to argue with her still, but she just wanted to get it all out. Somehow, Leliana had been right, and it almost felt therapeutic to tell someone. "I fixed my clothes and reached over him, to get the key. I was so worried that someone would come in and see me… I just wanted to get out! And then I was sick," she said, shrugging.

She looked up then, her stomach feeling stronger. "I got away, and emptied my stomach in the corner of the room. As I was finishing, Fenris came in. He helped me get up, and I found a cloak to put on, to hide in. Looking at him, I could see he knew something had happened, and he was so angry. I yelled at him, that I could take care of myself… that I knew what I was doing."

She gave a depreciating laugh, and shook her head. "So I pretended everything was fine, and went back to the party. I knew Cyril would come looking for me, so I hid as soon as I could."

"And that's why I found you in the bushes," Leliana added, and Cat nodded.

"Cat," Alistair said, as he moved from his chair to kneel at her feet. He held out his arms, wanting to comfort her, in a way he knew she needed, but he didn't want to force her, if she wasn't ready.

He saw the momentary fear, but smiled as she pushed it away, and moved into his arms. He held her tightly in a hug, the other three moving to put a hand on her back or shoulders. He rocked slightly as he felt her shudder.

"Why were you so adamant about Hawke not finding out?" he asked, confused. "He would have helped you."

Cat gave another watery laugh, though she didn't try to move away. "No, Al… he would have gone ballistic, and killed Cyril, and who knows what else. Fenris and Anders and Issy… hell. Everyone would have wanted a piece of him."

Leliana actually smiled at that. "They would have torn him to shreds," she said.

"At the very least, Leli."

"Something is bothering me," Nathaniel spoke up. "You said Fenris came for you after some time, though you had asked that they interrupt immediately. What happened that there was such a time gap?"

"I… don't know," Cat answered, trying to move back, but being held firmly by Alistair, which she didn't really mind.

"Would they have decided to give you more time?" he asked, and Cat frowned in thought.

"No, Fenris is extremely reliable. If he was told immediately, he came immediately."

"Then something, or __someone__ delayed him," Leliana spoke up. "Who passed this message on for you?" she asked, though she already knew. "Tallis?"

Cat nodded. "Yeah…"

"Who is Tallis?" Nathaniel asked Leliana.

"An elf, who is part of the Qunari. She was the one who brought this job to Hawke's crew in the first place."

"I see," he answered, though he didn't… not really. However he could see that Cat did, and that was what mattered.

"Well!" Duran exclaimed, seeing Cat had had about enough, and causing the others to turn to him. "This has been quite the surprising and eventful morning, wouldn't you say?" he asked. He turned to look at Cat, and gave her a wink. "We are here, anytime you need an ear, or a hug, okay doll face?"

Cat smiled widely, remembering how he had called her that when they first met, and how her life had changed right after. She could almost feel like it was happening again. "Okay," she replied with a nod.

"So then, how long can you stay?" he asked with a grin.

* * *

Varric brooded into his drink. It wasn't like him, he knew, but it seemed that the more the time passed, the worse things got in Kirkwall.

He thought back several months, when he had first met the former crow named Zevran, and both Broody and Rivaini left to help him hunt down his former guildmates.

Since then, things had been both better, and worse.

Hawke, for all that had been happening, was much more aware of his friends and strove to keep them involved in his dealings with the city. However, for all they tried to help, issues among the mages and templars continued to worsen, with Hawke in the middle of it all.

Hawke had even tried to visit the templars- make some sort of alliance, or find some common ground, only to be rebuffed by Meredith. Hawke and Aveline had then backed a noble trying to take the office of viscount, and after a month of attempts, the man had finally given up. Somehow, Meredith was able to stop anyone she didn't approve of from taking power.

Since then, there had been a strain between the guard and the templars, to the point that each were insistent that they were the foremost defenders of the city, and had no need for the other. Added to that, were those that thought the Guard Captain was no longer making good decisions for her guard.

Varric looked through the papers in front of him. He had received a short note from the Little Dove back then, not explaining where she was, or who she was with, but with Zevran's words from the night they met, it was obvious to him that she was with the Hero of Ferelden.

She spoke a line of regret to Hawke, and an apology to Fenris for not letting him help her. She ended by saying she had gotten help from a few good friends now, and was on the road to recovery, so he shouldn't worry. Which of course, made Hawke nearly insane wondering and worrying what that was all about- and he couldn't even question Fenris about it.

Varric sighed, and took another drink. Then there was Blondie and his new crusade to get his friend Adrius out of Kirkwall, though seeing the state that Anders was in, had the recently escaped mage wanting to stay and help his rescuer. So now they had two reckless mages living in the clinic in Darktown. Varric could only be grateful they still had a way of making money through the whores at the Rose, so they didn't starve.

To top it off, Merrill was a constant conundrum. At times helping Hawke and the elves in the alienage, having made friends with a few there- and other times spending days on end in front of her creepy mirror that gave no reflection, trying to figure out how to get it to work.

Varric flipped to the next page, his own letter that he was trying to write to the Little Dove, but he knew even as he scanned his own words that he wouldn't be able to send it. There was no news that he could give, without giving her great worry. He couldn't tell her about Hawke's struggles, nor about the mission Rivaini and Broody were undertaking, or even what her friends were up to, without worrying that she would scan the page and decide to come back prematurely.

Even if he admitted to himself that that was exactly what he wanted.

For all the good that Hawke was doing, Varric could see the fatigue, and the depression. He had very little to be happy about these days, and Varric couldn't help but want her here to help. If it was just about sex, he would have already sent Hawke to the Rose- and in fact had done so on multiple occasions in the hopes that it would help. But that wasn't it.

Varric was absolutely certain Hawke was in love with a capital L. And he was simply trying to survive it. And really, what good was a friend with contacts, if he couldn't even contact the one Hawke wanted? __Do I even really want to put her into this situation now?__ He wondered for the umpteenth time.

Varric raised his glass in a mocking toast to love, before swallowing the rest of the whiskey in one go.

* * *

Cat opened her eyes, smiling at the sunshine that made its way into her bedroom. Waking up had been almost a joy at Soldier's Peak, since she knew there were two wardens waiting down at the training yard for her, ready and willing to help her improve her skills.

They were constantly fighting over who got to spend time with her, and who would be helping Duran for the day, and worked endlessly to make her smile. Knowing that, how could she do anything but grin at them?

At the beginning, Duran had taken the pilfered warden armor away, though he found some clothes for her so she didn't have to put Isabela's gear back on. However, after nearly five months of spending every day training with them, he had gotten the armorers to make her a new set in warden colors, making her squeal in happiness.

Though she didn't wear it very often, just having it made her so very happy. And of course she couldn't wait to show Hawke…

Thinking of Garrett had her sitting down, and placing a hand to her heart. She __missed__ him. She hadn't known just how much until he wasn't there. Everyday, she would see or think of something she wanted to share with him, only to remember that she couldn't.

Al was a true friend in every sense of the word, and reminded her of Fenris with how strong and yet humble he could be.

Nathaniel reminded her of Isabela, and while she knew he may not appreciate the comparison- they were both sinfully gorgeous, outrageously flirtatious, and made her feel so at ease that it was hard to not simply fall for either of them outright. Isabela had been relatively easy to turn down since she wasn't into women like that, but Nathaniel was proving more difficult- and more stubborn.

But all in all, even as she felt herself softening towards the handsome archer, even as she felt her heart beat faster when he would put his arms around her to show her the correct stance- - she only had to think of Garrett, and would be unable to see Nathaniel as anything other than a friend. There was simply no comparison.

Smiling to herself as she stood back up and got her holsters on, Cat couldn't help but wonder what her friends in Kirkwall were doing. She hadn't heard from anyone, including Leliana, the entire time she had been here. Yes, she knew she was supposed to be hiding- and remembering who she was protecting was the thing that kept her there.

Grabbing her daggers and pushing them into their sheaths, Cat strode to the door and out it quickly. __Today should be a day of sparring with Alistair, and I'm more than ready to take him down,__ she thought with a grin, heading to the training pitch.

* * *

"What's this all about?" Cat asked as Nathaniel led her towards Duran's office.

"I'm not sure," he replied, giving her a glance from her right. "But I am certain that there is a good reason, since it is only the three of us that were summoned."

"Hmm, good point," she replied. "So Al is meeting us there?" she asked.

"Yes, or so I assume," he said.

She glanced back at him, giving a smirk. "Oh really? You mean you don't know Al's whereabouts at all times?" she teased.

"I keep my eyes on someone else these days," he said with a smile.

"Nate…" she said, the teasing gone as her expression changed to concern.

"I know, I know," he said, giving her a smile. "But it is my time and my feelings to do with as I please."

Cat continued to walk, turning up the stairs with Nathaniel beside her, his hand coming up to her back as they ascended.

At the top of the stairs, she stopped, and turned, Nathaniel mirroring her movements. She looked up into his face, and noted that while he looked serious, she could see the gentleness underneath.

"I don't want you to get hurt," she said softly. "I especially don't want to be the one to hurt you."

"Like I said," he answered, bringing a hand up to her face, and she leaned back to avoid it. He smiled sadly and lowered it, before straightening up. "You never know, I may change your mind."

"I don't think so," she answered, giving him a look. "It isn't like I'm not tempted," she said with a smile, chuckling at the pleased grin he suddenly sported. "But, to be honest, that's true of almost all my friends." She laughed a little louder at his wry look.

"Don't give me that look, you should know it's true." She held up her hand, and started counting with her fingers as she listed them. "Hawke, Fenris, Anders," she stopped as Nathaniel snorted at the mention of the mage. "And though I am not into women- Issy, Aveline, Merrill, Leli, Morrigan, and even Wynne all have their charms."

"Oh really?" he asked, pulling her along towards the commander's office.

"Indeed," she replied. "And then there is you, and of course Al."

"Of course," he snipped.

"Carver is a no, he looks like and is related to Hawke, so there is absolutely no chance there. And though I don't think they feel anything towards me, both Varric and Duran would be hard to say no to."

"Interesting to know where I stand."

Cat turned to see Duran behind her, giving her one of the biggest smirks she had seen him wear.

She returned his grin, though she blushed a little. "Sorry Duran, just trying to get through this one's thick skull," she said pointing to Nathaniel.

Duran glanced over to his third in command. "Good luck with that," he said, keeping his smirk in place. "Though his tenacity is one of the things I like most about him."

"Don't you side with him on this," Cat threatened in jest, and both men raised their hands in surrender.

"Am I late?" Alistair asked as he topped the staircase.

"Only if you wanted to hear Cat say that she could be tempted to have an affair with you," Nathaniel said grumpily.

Alistair flushed, looking between the three of them, and wondering if they were teasing him.

"Oh… uh… that's… uh, nice," he stuttered.

"Don't let him get to you, Al," Cat responded, giving his shoulder a swat along with a wink. "He's just jealous that he's not the only one that I consider quite a catch."

"Ohhhh?" Alistair said, catching on, and giving her a questioning look. "Does that mean that __you__ think __I'm__ a catch?"

"Not after that," she muttered. Duran chuckled, and waved them into his office. "Yes, Al, you're all ridiculously well suited to being caught," she said, her voice dripping snark.

"Well…" he replied, moving into the office and shutting the door behind him. "So commander, maybe we should change the subject?" he asked pointedly.

Duran laughed, offering them all seats. "I would be delighted to," he said. "There was a reason or two that I had you all come meet with me."

"We're all ears, commander," Alistair said happily, ignoring the looks Nathaniel and Cat were giving him.

Duran took a few moments, giving Cat a look that she was able to interpret, causing her to steel herself.

"Cat mentioned something a few days ago, that she wanted to speak to us… about what may come."

Alistair and Nathaniel were both quiet, as they looked at Cat curiously.

"I've told her before and I'll say it again in front of both of you," Duran continued. "I have told Cat that we do not need any information from her, nothing that she isn't willing to give."

Nathaniel was quick to nod along, and though Alistair was slower he also nodded.

Cat swallowed, still unsure if she should say anything, but knowing it was the right thing to do.

"So there is something that is worrying me," she said, thinking her words carefully. "Something that stems from the Wardens."

That grabbed them, and all three males gave her their undivided attention.

"I'm certain you three are aware of something called the Architect?" she asked.

"Considering I heard about it from you, I think you know the answer," Duran responded curiously. "Nathaniel helped to kill it, and we have told Alistair about it as well."

"That makes things easier," she murmured. She looked back up to them, and drew in a breath. "He wasn't the only one," she said resolutely.

"The only one what?" Alistair asked, horrified. "The only Architect?! There are more?!"

Cat shook her head, and gave a grimace. "Sort of. Not the only sentient darkspawn."

"You're serious, aren't you?" Nathaniel asked.

"Very," she replied. "The wardens are holding him in slumber through spells, that have to be reinforced every so often. Through blood magic."

"News to be certain, though not wholly unsurprising," Duran commented, while the other two wardens looked at him in shock.

"Not surprising?!" Alistair exclaimed. "We knew there were secrets, yes, but this?"

"What possible gain could the wardens have for keeping something like this?" Nathaniel asked.

"Perhaps they simply couldn't kill it," Cat answered, and Nathaniel looked to her, pondering the implications.

"I suppose if that were not possible, then the solution __would__ be containment…" he replied.

"Cat, do you know why they couldn't kill it?" Duran asked.

"Something to do with the fact that he is one of the original darkspawn," she answered. "It gives him power over the blight, and any tainted creatures."

They were silent once more as they took this in.

"Similarly to an archdemon, this darkspawn is able to move to another tainted creature. The difference however, from what I can remember, is that having the warden deal the final blow will not kill it."

Eyes wide, the three of them took in this information. "That… is not good news," Duran stated.

"No wonder the wardens can't kill it," Nathaniel murmured.

"And when it is freed?" Duran asked, smirking at Cat's shocked expression. "I can read between the lines well enough," he said. "What happens?"

"It is able to control the wardens, well… any tainted creature really. It uses the wardens to start a war across all of Thedas."

"Is there nothing we can do to prevent that?" Alistair asked in concern.

"That, my friend, is exactly what I have been wrestling with. Obviously, since my knowledge is almost gone, not to mention the changes that have occurred, I can't be sure of anything. However, if the story is as I know it…"

There was a pause, and Duran looked at her seriously. "Yes?" he asked.

"Then Garrett and Carver Hawke's father was the last mage to reinforce those spells that are holding it. Which means their blood is the only thing that could set it free."

"What exactly are you suggesting here, Cat?" Nathaniel asked, sounding almost angry. "That we kill off the Hawkes so this darkspawn can't awaken?"

"What?! NO! Of course not!"

"Then what?"

She looked at each of them. "I'm suggesting that when others under its spell come to take Garrett and Carver there, to free it- that we do not let any wardens in, or out. I'm fairly sure it can't control nor possess those that are untainted. So we give it no opportunity to escape."

"This is not something I have even heard of," Duran spoke up. "I'll have to gather more information, demand answers from the Wardens in Orlais."

"It is crucial that there not be any wardens there," Cat warned. "No matter how much you may want to assist."

"Can you tell us what this creature will do?" Nathaniel asked.

"Many things," Cat replied. "One thing he can do, is manipulate the taint, potentially giving a false calling to every warden at once."

Eyes widened again, as they understood the significance.

"I can't imagine what the wardens would do if they thought they were all dying at once," Duran said grimly.

"There are many wardens who see great injustices as necessary when speaking of stopping a blight," Cat replied. "This would be no different, and the wardens would undoubtedly come up with a desperate act."

"I am fairly certain I don't want to know what that act is," Nathaniel commented. "So the idea is to stop this darkspawn, before it can wreck havoc?"

"That is my hope," she replied. "Though I am actually telling you three this, to get your opinions. There is no telling what would happen, even if we were to stop this creature."

"What other options are there?" Alistair asked.

"Doing nothing," Duran spoke up, looking to Cat, his eyebrow raised. He noted the stress that she carried, and wished he could take it from her.

"Nothing?" Alistair repeated. "How could you even think such a thing?!" he demanded of Duran, then looked at Cat as well.

"Think about it Alistair," Duran said calmly. "If we let things happen as they are meant to, then we can minimize injury, death, and the overall effect on the world as a whole. If we change even a single outcome, we would be in the dark as to what was to come. Cat's knowledge would be useless."

"Exactly," Cat replied. "True, I have changed some things, saving those that should have died for example. And such things were not without their consequences. Others have died, and I could not prevent it."

"I see," he mumbled.

"Not to mention that strife and suffering makes us stronger," she added, feeling embarrassed when they looked at her in confusion. "Just think about it," she added. "You would not be the men you are today if you did not have to overcome obstacles and suffering."

Duran smirked. "No, we would most likely all be in the royal courts, wouldn't we?" he asked.

Cat smiled in reply. "What I am asking, is that you think this over. I don't know exactly when this will happen, and you can be involved to a certain point. People will try to take the Hawkes, both Garrett and Carver, and will most likely be Carta dwarves, though they are not the masterminds."

"When that happens… we'll know that it will be time to face this," Nathaniel said. "I'm not certain how you two feel about all this, but I would like some time to think it over."

"A wise idea," Duran said, and turned back to Cat. "Thank you for including us, for trusting us with this."

"Of course," she replied, surprised. "I completely trust all of you, and I know you are striving to make this a better world."

"Well then," Duran continued, giving her a pleased nod. "There was something I wanted your opinion on as well."

"Mine?" Cat asked, surprised.

Duran opened a drawer, and handed Cat a note. She opened it and read:

 _ _Haring 9:35 Dragon__

 _ _Warden Commander,__

 _ _We recently received a message from one Jerrik Dace of Orzammar. He requires your aid in locating an expedition lost in a place called "Amgarrak," somewhere in the Deep Roads. I have enclosed the letter.__

 _ _Your faithful servant,__

 _ _Seneschal Garevel__

Cat looked up after reading it, and asked, "What would you like to know?"


	91. Chapter 91- Amgarrak

This was the seventh vendor, but Hawke wasn't about to give up. Some tried to hide the swords, some had tried to charge double what they were actually worth, and some were simply glad to be rid of them.

No one actually wanted to be found with a Qunari sword by an actual Qunari after all- it was just asking to be killed.

Hawke could understand why these Qunari remained to gather the swords, once it had been explained. These weapons represented the warriors, and deserved to be buried, __or whatever Qunari did for their dead,__ he thought.

Pockets reasonably lighter, and arms much more full, Hawke and his crew made their way back into Hightown, to give the swords they had found or purchased back to the one that had originally asked for help.

Hawke could admit that he had been somewhat leery at first being approached, but Aveline had pointed out the benefits to helping the Qunari. Varric was quick to wonder why the horned giants weren't mad about Hawke killing one of their leaders, but Hawke just shrugged it off.

Perhaps he could ask Fenris about it sometime in the future, though ever since the time Fenris had said something about mages having their lips sewn shut, Hawke hadn't brought up questions of the Qunari around him. It seemed the wiser course of action at the time.

Thinking of Fenris, Hawke's thoughts turned to his other missing crew. As he walked through the streets, he wondered how Isabela, Fenris and Zevran were doing in their quest to take down the Crows that had been targeting their newest acquaintance and Cat by association.

He really wanted them to hurry, it had been far too long already.

The months had flown by, since he had been so busy in the city. Too busy to focus on his feelings, and the anger he had once felt had simply slipped away before he had even realized it. Speaking with Varric a few times had helped also, and he had come to admit that while he didn't like being the one left behind, he couldn't blame Cat. He would have done exactly the same thing, without a qualm, to keep his friends safe- so how could he be mad at her?

 _ _Added to that…__ Hawke gave a little sigh as he trudged up some stairs. It usually came back to this, the feelings of regret. __I should have enjoyed what I had when I had it. Now, if I ever see her again, she'll most likely be married one of the wardens, belly swollen with another man's child…__

He grimaced at his own thoughts, though he couldn't seem to ever be rid of them. __I am such a fool! It could have been me- but I was too focused on saving the day, too focused on my own needs!__

"Hawke?"

Garret shook his head slightly, focusing on where the voice had come from, stopping in his tracks and looking over at Aveline in question.

"Uh… weren't we going to deliver these swords?" she asked in confusion.

Hawke looked around, and noted that he had walked past the Qunari and was heading toward home. Feeling embarrassed, he gave a self depreciating smile. "Sorry about that, got thinking about home, I guess."

He turned around, telling himself to get it together, and made his way to the Qunari, ready to rid himself of all the extra weapons.

* * *

Cat could hardly believe where she was. Even months ago she would have called anyone that said she would willingly go into the Deep Roads insane. Now here she was, travelling to a place near Orzammar with only Duran, Alistair, Nate and Dog as company.

The strangest part of all, was that she actually felt pretty good about it. After Duran had shown her a letter about a dwarf named Jerrik Dace describing an expedition to Amgarrak, she had told him what she could remember, which even she could admit wasn't very much.

She knew there was something strange that had nothing to do with darkspawn, and in the story Duran had gone alone, and had found out terrible secrets about people who had tried to recreate Caradin's research on creating golems, and ended up creating a monster called a harvester.

She tried to explain what it looked like, and all three of the wardens had finally stopped her with the looks on their faces. She smiled a little at the memory.

"Thank you for that visual Cat, I wasn't really wanting to sleep ever again," Alistair complained.

"That is positively horrific, are you certain?" Duran asked, looking concerned.

"About the creature? Yes. About it being real and actually there?" she shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, though most of what was in the story has been real," she reminded him.

"This is not good," Nathaniel commented, and waved away their smirks before they could respond. "I mean, if this were to come to the attention of those seeking power? The ability to create such monsters in the hands of those without morals would be devastating for the entire world."

"One of whom is my brother," Duran added, looking sickened. "In his letter, Jerrik Dace said they had kept this place secret from Orzammar, but who knows what spies the king has had following their progress? This Jerrik is a cousin to Lord Anwer of Orzammar, so there is a chance that Bhelen already knows."

"What exactly is this man asking of you?" Alistair asked.

"The expedition never returned, and his brother was leading it. He wants my help to go after them, and find his brother," Duran answered. He turned to Cat. "You said I went alone?" he asked, and she nodded. "Is that necessary?" he asked.

Cat looked thoughtful. "I doubt it, though Jerrik may want to only involve you because of who you are. In my limited experience, most dwarfs do not want humans to interfere with dwarven matters."

"True," Duran conceded. "However, I am not merely dwarven, I am a Grey Warden, and any that I bring along would be as well." He turned around, and they each knew him well enough to know that he was weighing his options, and silence prevailed. Eventually he turned back around, having decided. "I'd like the three of you to accompany me."

Cat shook her head as the memory faded, and she looked at the men and dog that were her companions. She may have shied away from the thought at first, but with the last several months of combat training from Alistair, and the stealth training from Nathaniel, she felt like she was on a different level now.

She giggled to herself as she wondered what __level__ she would be if she were really just playing the games. __Leveling up in real life was much more difficult though…__ she thought. __And so incredibly rewarding too.__

Traveling with seasoned wardens meant being warned far in advance of any darkspawn, and Cat was grateful that the wardens were not looking for fights, but trying to avoid them. When she voiced the question, Nathaniel explained how the darkspawn could easily become more than they could handle, and it was simply smarter to avoid the fight to begin with.

Though they travelled quietly, as to not attract attention, Duran peppered Cat with questions, mostly concerning how she managed to get into such trouble on the other side of the sea.

"Uh… well, about that…" she muttered.

"Yes?" he asked, smiling at her, as if he already knew.

"Well… the story about the blight… it wasn't the only one about Thedas."

"Obviously," he replied, much to her surprise. "Cat, you have known many things that have happened after the blight, so there was obviously more," he explained.

"Oh, right," she answered, wanting to face palm for her lack of thought. "Well, the second story follows the happenings in Kirkwall."

The wardens stopped, this time surprised, as they looked at her.

"You mean you knew about the Qunari and everything that was happening in that place as well?" Alistair demanded.

"Yes?" she answered, unsure how to handle this more forceful side of him.

He rolled his eyes as he scrubbed a hand over his face. "Ancestors, Cat, what were you thinking going there?"

"I was thinking that I was on a ship headed there, so since I knew what would happen, I could keep my head down and stay out of trouble."

"Oh really?" he asked sarcastically. "Bang up job."

"Hey, Issy was the one that got involved with Hawke, not me," she complained. "I found a job-"

"In a whorehouse," Nathaniel interrupted with a smile, and she glared at him as she continued.

"-and I was minding my own business, until I got dragged into things."

"Like you got dragged into the blight?" Duran asked with a smirk.

"Similarly," she muttered in a pout. "But I had much more training with those sailors. I was capable of handling myself, unlike before."

"Oh really?" Alistair asked dryly, and he started walking again, the others following suit.

"They taught me to fight dirty," she said with a smile. "They taught me how to read and write common."

"I wondered where you picked that up," Duran commented.

"And, I tried to avoid Hawke's crew, but I felt something for them, just as I did for all of you. I couldn't really stay away."

"It's not that I think you were wrong," Alistair said by way of apology. "More that it seemed foolhardy."

"I changed things this time though," Cat admitted guiltily, and they turned to look at her again.

"You changed things with us as well," Duran pointed out.

"Not really, not in the same way," she murmured, looking away. "I mean yes, me being there changed things, but I didn't change the outcome of the way things were happening."

"And you did in Kirkwall?" Nathaniel asked shrewdly.

"Yeah."

The silence stretched on for a little while before Nathaniel cleared his throat. "You mentioned it before… would you like to tell us?" he asked.

"Do you want to know?" she asked in reply.

"I must admit to being… curious."

"All right," she answered, and took a few steeling breaths, as she wondered how they would react. "Little things at first, knowing what to say to get people to cooperate, avoiding traps and such. It made my life easier, but also gained Fenris' attention. He questioned everything, and eventually it all spilled out."

"So he knows?"

She smiled at Alistair's question. "Yes, and admittedly, I was afraid that he would kill me, just as I was when I first told all of you," she said, lumping Nathaniel into the origins crew. "Fenris was a slave to a magister in Tevinter, and had been experimented on. Those tattoos he has all over his skin are lyrium, and give him the ability to pass through solid objects."

"You're joking," Nathaniel commented grimly, while Duran looked impressed.

"No, his usual move is to reach into someone's chest and grab ahold of their heart, and squeeze it. Good for questioning people, but also a quick death that cannot really be avoided."

She smirked at seeing both Alistair and Nathaniel rub their chests as if their own hearts were paining them. "Needless to say, I was afraid that he would see it as magic, and kill me. But, he actually was more interested in my home, hearing that there was no magic there. He said it was my comments on mages that were so different, that had him wondering."

She sighed, "After that, I decided to talk about it with Anders, seeing that some of the worst things that happen in Kirkwall are due to the problems that arise between templars and mages, and the fact that Justice can only deal with black and white, and cannot understand that bringing about major change takes varying degrees of gray.

"He didn't believe me at first," she stopped at hearing Nathaniel's snort. "And you did?" she asked him, and laughed at seeing him look so disconcerted.

"Like I said, once he thought it over, he realized he believed me, whether or not he could understand it all. After that, there were a few big changes."

"Like what?" Alistair asked, looking around as they walked, keeping on guard, though he was listening carefully.

"There was a young mage girl, taken by slavers. I happened to be taken by the same group, and I helped to keep her calm, telling her we were going to be saved. And we were. We ended up taking her in, and she helped Anders with his free clinic in the undercity."

"Oh, so she would have been a slave if you hadn't have been taken too?" Alistair asked, seeing where she was going."

"Not really," she answered. "In the story, she let become an abomination and was killed."

Silence met her again, but she barreled on. "And then there was a necromancer, who was killing women in the city. Eventually, Hawke's mother would have been one of his victims, so Issy and I directed the crew to him before that could happen."

"That seems like good changes," Duran said, smiling at her. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," she replied, feeling down. "It didn't all turn out as I hoped. The necromancer's apprentice came to Kirkwall looking for his research, and started killing others to perfect his magic. The young mage we saved, Olivia… was one of his victims."

"Oh Cat, I am so sorry…" Alistair murmured, giving her a one armed hug as they walked.

"Thank you," she said patting his arm. "It has been some time, but Anders was the one that pointed out that we had all that time with her because of the changes we made. Fenris and Anders both keep trying to get me to tell them more, so that we can make better changes."

"But you don't think so?" Nathaniel asked.

"More like I am worried," she replied. "Worried of what greater calamity would rise from the ashes. The apprentice was not a killer in the story I knew, but because of the changes I made, he became one. Maybe it was in him all along, but I worry what could arise because of stopping something else."

"Which is why you asked for our opinions about the sentient darkspawn," Duran mused. "I understand better now why you do not want to make that decision on your own."

"I guess it may seem strange, like I am asking for permission or something," she replied. "But this is your world, your home, not mine. I feel like when I make changes I am intruding or interfering."

"Living in a place for over five years constitutes home to me," Alistair said with a smile. "Not to mention you've defended both Ferelden and Kirkwall a few times."

"I guess you're right," she said with a return smile.

"So Cat," Duran said, and she turned to look at him. "You've told us how Fenris and Anders reacted, but you've been very quiet about Garret Hawke. Why is that?"

* * *

Hawke sat as he watched Adrius practically guilt Anders into joining them for a small meal. He couldn't help but be glad that the older mage was there, otherwise he felt certain that Anders would be practically destitute, and starving.

Adrius was the reason the clinic still made money, having taken over making the potions for the Rose, though Hawke or one of the crew would deliver them if Anders forgot to.

"Come on young man, as a healer you know how important meals and friends are to your overall well being," Adrius said to Anders as he practically pushed him to the table that Hawke was sitting at.

"Yes, I know," Anders said while rolling his eyes. "I just need to finish-"

"You can finish later," Adrius interrupted. "Your manifesto will still be there tonight. And if you take this break like I ask, then I will even give you some of my time later."

"Really? Why didn't you say so?" Anders replied with a smile, which Hawke was glad to see.

"It's nice to see you smile Anders," Hawke spoke up, as the mages joined him, Anders sitting and Adrius moving to collect the dishes to bring out. "I feel you have been too serious of late."

"It seems there are fewer and fewer reasons to be smiling," Anders responded. "With everything that Meredith and her templars are trying to do, it is not a good time to be a mage in Kirkwall."

"That may be true," Adrius spoke up as he returned, putting a few plates on the table and sitting down. "But there is also so much good coming from it all. We mages are being tried… and it is heartening to see them stand tall against such persecution."

"I'm sure it has something to do with having courageous mages show them how," Hawke replied, nodding to the two of them.

"I am continuously surprised at the mages that choose to stay behind in the circle," Anders said. "It would be much easier to escape."

"Yes, but knowing what your escape would cause to befall the others?" Adrius commented. "It becomes easier to stay, knowing you are all in it together."

"I feel perhaps I should apologize for insisting that you leave, Adrius," Hawke said concernedly. "I didn't realize how it would weigh on you."

"It has been a weight, but not how you are meaning," Adrius replied, and gave Hawke a smile. "Performing magic in the courtyard sealed my fate, and if you had not come for me, I would be a tranquil now. A fact for which I am eternally grateful."

"That would be Cat's doing, mostly," Anders said, his eyes seeming to look far off. "She was inconsolable when she found out what Meredith would do, just for helping keep her from dying." He looked back to Adrius. "And as I keep saying, it was a small thing to do to repay you for saving our friend."

"Well, I admit I even took myself by surprise with that one," Adrius said with a chuckle. "I am not one to call attention to myself usually."

"If I may ask," Hawke spoke, "I'm curious as to why you haven't tried to leave Kirkwall. Not that I want you to," he added quickly. "Just that most in your situation as a hunted man would put as much distance as possible."

"It may very well come to that," Adrius said. "However, I still feel that I am part of the circle here. I would do anything to help my friends there, though I can admit I am not certain what I could possibly do. But running now will help no one."

Hawke smiled, taking a piece of bread, and breaking off a chunk to eat. "You have been in Kirkwall's circle long?" he asked.

Adrius smiled. "Long enough to have met Malcolm Hawke," he said with a grin.

Hawke stared, uncertain. __Why had he waited so long to say anything?!__

"Really?" Anders asked, looking concerned. "Why didn't you say something before?" he asked.

"It didn't seem the right time," Adrius said, in the vague way those that were older tended to do. "And there wasn't much to say, as he was older than I, so I didn't interact much with him."

"But you knew him?" Hawke asked. "Before he met and ran off with Mother?"

Adrius nodded. "Indeed. He reminded me much of Anders here."

Anders and Hawke gaped at each other, before turning back to Adrius. "Seriously?" Hawke asked.

Adrius smiled again, getting lost in memory. "Oh my yes, he was so devoted to his fellow mages, and a bit reckless with it. He was also a bit cold, or… aloof really. He refused to make connections you see. Connections meant there was something… __someone__ that could be used against you."

Hawke and Anders nodded, knowing full well what that was like.

"Then one day, it was as if he changed into a different man," Adrius said, seeing that the younger mages were hanging onto his every word. "Suddenly so serious, no longer reckless. For a younger man like myself it was a disappointment- having a man you saw as a rebel, a hero, suddenly conforming to the rules. There were many who wondered at the time what the templars had done to get to him."

Hawke was fascinated. His parents had never spoken of this side of his father, in fact he wondered if his mother had even known.

"Of course, once he was gone, and it was discovered he had left with a noble's daughter… it became clear." Adrius sighed, looking at his hands. "He now had someone worth everything, the greatest connection a mage could have. I realized then that that was why he changed… to protect, not himself, but another."

The older mage chuckled dryly. "After that, I became a rule follower. Well… I say that, but I mean in appearances of course. I honed my healing magic, because healers will always be needed, even protected by templars. Keeping my connections to others close, not allowing them to be seen."

He looked at Hawke then, smiling. "I'm so glad to have been able to meet you, Garrett. To see at Malcolm was able to have that life that he fought so hard to achieve for mages. It gives me hope that that will happen for others. So how can I run?" he asked.

"Mages __will__ have that life!" Anders declared vehemently. "No matter the cost!"

Hawke and Adrius looked to Anders, then glanced back at each other, both seeing their concern reflected in the others' eyes.

* * *

Cat stood silently with Alistair and Nathaniel while Duran argued with Jerrik Dace about bringing humans into such a place. They had been at it for quite some time, and she could see that Duran was starting to get annoyed.

"Veata!" Duran finally exclaimed. "These are no mere humans, they are Grey Wardens, and I am their commander! They will follow orders, and will say nothing of seeing Amgarrak. You have my word on this, but if you cannot accept it, than we shall take our leave!"

"Feh," Jerrik muttered, turning. "Agreed, my lord," he replied. "I just want my brother back."

He began walking and Duran followed, so the others started moving as well.

"This way," Jerrik said, as he picked up his pack.

A huge boulder near him started moving, causing Dog to bark rapidly. Cat looked on in shock, seeing the rock turn and face them, it's horned face tilting as it viewed them each in turn before focusing on the loud animal that was barking at it.

The bronto gave a loud noise in reply, causing both Cat and Dog to yelp in fright, and move back behind the other warriors. The men and dwarves started laughing loudly at the scene.

Duran moved over to Dog, giving his head a quick rub. "Now Cat I understand, she's never been done here before, but you? You've fought an archdemon without hesitation, and you're scared of a bronto?" he asked, chuckling. "Come on then, little warrior."

"Do you need me to hold you?" Nathaniel said softly to Cat behind him, who huffed, and moved away.

"It startled me, that's all," she said, miffed at them for laughing at her. "What's its name?" she asked Jerrik.

"Danica," he replied, amused.

"Hey there Danica," Cat said gently as she moved forward, at a slow but steady pace. Getting closer, she put her hand out, letting the bronto see what she had in mind. The animal shook herself, but stayed put, so Cat reached out to touch her thick hide.

"You're a warrior too, aren't you girl?" Cat asked, as she gave a few rubs to the scarred, pebbled skin. "I'm glad you're on our side."

"She'll be a big help, for certain," Jerrik said, looking at Cat in a new light. He didn't know humans that would not only let themselves be the butt of the joke, but concede their need for help.

"Let's get going," Duran suggested, and with a much better mood in the air between them, the warriors headed off towards Amgarrak.

* * *

"I don't understand," Jerrik said as he pushed against the air that held solid around them. "How can mist keep us held in?"

"It is no ordinary mist, for certain," Nathaniel replied. "It is as if it is corralling us to a specific location."

"Or it is a series of tests one must pass?" Cat added. "The mist shifted once we destroyed those corpses."

"Very well, we should keep going then, see where the mist is leading us," Duran concluded.

The group continued on, destroying everything they came across, though there were shadows of darkspawn and deepstalkers that could not be hit, confusing the entire party- save one.

But she didn't provide answers, for she didn't truly have any. Saying that that was how the story went, wasn't exactly an explanation after all.

After some time, they made their way to a set of extremely large doors. Jerrik ran forward, exclaiming that they had made it to Amgarrak. He quickly opened the doors, and the others came through, only to have the doors slam shut behind them with a glow of light that travelled along the surface of the metal.

"What was that?" Nathaniel asked.

"Magic," Alistair replied, as he reached out and touched the door. "Sealing us in."

"Can you dispel it?" Duran asked him.

"I doubt it," Alistair replied. "The surface area is extremely large, and it looks as if it will reseal the spell if the magic isn't dispelled at once."

"Then we'll look for another way, as we search for Jerrik's brother," Duran said, moving further into the great entrance hall.

The others moved with him, steadily forward, but on guard. Jerrik stopped and bent down, coming back up with a long piece of metal in his hand.

"A control rod," he muttered.

"For a golem?" Duran asked, surprised.

"That's what it appears to be, though who knows if the golem is even here," Jerrik answered. He reached over, placing the rod inside his pack and kept moving.

The group made into a central chamber, that looked like a deserted foyer. "No one is here," Alistair said. "But the good news is that there are no bodies either."

"That doesn't mean anything," Cat said. "We should stay on guard."

"Girl has a point," Jerrik mumbled.

Cat glanced at him, but didn't bother to remind him of her name. She didn't think he actually forgot it. She looked around, seeing a small stone table in the corner, with something sitting on top of it.

Moving over, she saw that it was a piece of parchment with runes written on it, in what she assumed was dwarven. "Duran, Jerrik?" she called. "There's something written here."

The dwarves moved to her, and she stepped aside so they could read the page.

"What does it say?" Alistair asked, as he and Nathaniel continued to look around the room.

"It's notes from the scholar of the expedition," Jerrik explained. "It mentions a laboratory where a dwarf and a mage from Tevinter worked to recreate Caradin's research."

"They were trying to make golems?" Alistair asked, and Jerrik looked at him, then angrily at Duran.

"Alistair was with me in Orzammar during the blight," Duran explained with a mild expression, and Jerrik nodded hesitantly.

"The interesting part, is he mentions that Branka's notes had said something about Amgarrak, and he wondered why she never tried to pursue this angle."

"Commander?" Nathaniel called. "You should come see this."

They moved over to where Nathaniel stood, and he stepped aside to give them a good view of the chest he stood next to.

"A treasure chest?" Duran asked. "Why does it seem as if it is made of mist?" he asked.

"That's not all," Nathaniel said, as he moved his bow, taking the end of it straight through the chest, as if it wasn't there at all.

"That's new," Alistair muttered.

"What is it, some... surfacer curse?" Jerrik asked.

"Perhaps we should look around some more?" Duran said. "Thoughts?" he asked his people as they moved on.

"Lyrium?" Cat said, causing him to glance at her. "Remember Fenris? His lyrium tattoos give him the same ability, and that's exactly what it looks like when he does."

"But he has to use the lyrium to create that effect doesn't he?" Alistair asked. "So maybe someone discovered how to use lyrium to do the same thing on objects… in order to keep others from looting?"

"Seems as plausible as anything else," Duran commented, though he didn't sound convinced.

Room by room they searched, the worry of Jerrik rising with each empty space they found, until finally they came across a shadowy form of a dwarf.

"What the devilry is this?" Duran asked, appalled.

"He's just like that chest," Nathaniel murmured.

"Brogan!" Jerrik called, trying to gain the dwarf's attention. "Brother! It's me!" He looked back to the others, pained. "He can't hear me!"

"If this is lyrium, then it stands to reason it should still be nearby, yes?" Cat said, looking around. "If we can find it, we can change it back, don't you think?"

Duran nodded, moving over to grab Jerrik's shoulder. "Come Jerrik, let's find a way to free your brother from this." Jerrik nodded, and let himself be pulled away reluctantly.

Room after room they searched, and hour after hour they didn't voice their worry that they would not be able to find the lyrium.

Cat wished she could remember which way to go, but from her memory the room with the large sphere of lyrium was the simple room to find… it was the others that were difficult. She tried not to get discouraged, and told herself to keep looking.

That was when she saw the faint blue light under a door. "Hey…" she said, moving over to open the door.

She pulled it open, and let out a scream. The others turned with weapons at the ready, moving to her as she backed up. Her eyes were blown wide, as she stared into the empty space.

Duran moved in front of her, going to the doorway and looking inside, but seeing nothing.

"What was it Cat?" he asked. "A creature made of mist?"

"A harvester," she mumbled, and the wardens looked to her in concern.

"What the…" Nathaniel started, as he looked at Cat.

"Uh, Nathaniel…" Alistair said, feeling uncomfortable at seeing the man stare at Cat's chest.

Nathaniel reached out, and brushed his fingers over the breastplate of Cat's armor, and turning to Duran. "Commander…" he said.

Duran looked, as Nathaniel's hand moved, and he could see the three deep slashes through the armor. He walked forward, looking from the armor to Cat's face.

"Cat?" he asked. "Did it go through?"

She looked down, seeing what they were looking at, what had given her such a shock. "No Duran," she replied, as they breathed a sigh of relief. "Just surprised me."

"I'd say so," Alistair said, looking at the slashes in concern, then back to the doorway. "The good news? Looks like you found the lyrium."

They moved carefully into the room, searching it carefully before moving over to look at the large glowing sphere.

"So now what?" Jerrik asked.

"It looks like this is some kind of switch?" Duran said pointing to a small lever in front of them.

"Let's try it then," Jerrik said, bracing himself.

"Here we go," Duran said, and pulled the lever.

They all watched, transfixed, as the sphere began to spin, faster and faster, until a surge of blue light moved over the entire room, and beyond. They looked around at the slight blue tint that now permeated the room.

"Did that do it?" Alistair asked.

"We won't know for sure until we check," Duran said.

"Brogan! I'm coming!" Jerrik yelled, and raced out of the room. Cat and the wardens glanced at each other before following.

* * *

"Sweetheart, you're back," Leandra said with a smile as she moved to Garrett to kiss his cheek.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Mother, I wasn't aware you had company," Garrett said, not liking the look of the man his mother was standing near.

"Nonsense," she said with a laugh. "This is Lord Henley, you remember he has been monumental in keeping the city able to provide for the refugees, and even worked with the royals in Ferelden in assisting those that wanted to return once the blight was over."

"Most of that was actually my wife Sarah," the man said humbly, and Garrett felt bad for what he had been thinking.

"Of course," Garrett said smoothly. "I believe I have spoken with your wife at numerous functions, though I haven't seen her lately."

Both the man and his mother looked stricken, and Garrett wondered what he had said.

"I'm so sorry Jacob," Leandra said. "I wasn't aware that Garrett didn't know."

"It's not a problem," Lord Henley said sadly. "It has been somewhat easier that time has passed.

"But never truly easy, I know," she replied softly. She turned to Garrett, a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you Garrett, but Lady Sarah was killed during the Qunari invasion."

Garrett's stomach dropped- both in the horror if his grievous error, and the fact that his widowed mother was spending time with a man that was also unattached. He wasn't ready for his mother to… to … __be courted.__

"My deepest apologies Lord Henley," Hawke said in complete sincerity. "I have always appreciated the work you and Lady Sarah were engaged in for those that came from Ferelden."

"Sarah was from Ferelden, did she ever tell you that?" he replied with a small curve of his lips. "She was adamant that we help them. I couldn't have done anything else, even if I had wanted to."

"Again, I am very sorry to have you relive your grief," Hawke replied.

"It is ever present," Henley said, his sadness apparent to the Hawkes. "I appreciate the thought, but I don't actually want to forget her."

"You never will," Leandra said. "She will always hold a piece of your heart."

"Thank you Leandra," he replied, patting her hand where she had rested it on his arm.

Garrett took another moment, seeing that the two of them hardly remembered that they weren't alone. He couldn't fault his mother for wanting companionship, he was rarely home after all. He could only think that if she were married, she would leave… and he would be alone in this giant house. It was a pretty depressing thought. And he felt like a selfish ass just thinking that way.


	92. Chapter 92- To Each Their Own Fight

Cat and Alistair watched Duran and Nathaniel race after Jerrik, as he ran off toward where they had left the shadowy form of his brother.

"Shall we?" Alistair asked, giving Cat a smile.

"Sure," she replied. "What was Duran saying before they took off?" she asked him as they began to walk.

"Basically to stay with you, and see if we can get into those chests on our way to that shadow door."

Cat gave him a surprised, yet pleased expression. She had forgotten the blue tinged door that they had been unable to open, but knowing Duran she shouldn't have been surprised that he remembered.

"He wants us to check that out?" she asked.

"Just see if we can get in," he replied easily. "And take a look inside. He'll meet up with us there once he gets Jerrik, and hopefully his brother." They turned a corner, and he gave her a questioning look. "So, you think you can get the chest open, or should we wait for the others?" he asked, teasing her.

"You are spending way too much time with rogues, Al," she answered, though she laughed. "They are rubbing off on you."

"That's hardly my fault," he responded as he looked around the hallway. "They're everywhere! I can't avoid them no matter what I try." He smiled at the chuckle she gave him. "Besides, what else should I do? Spend my time with the mages that for some reason are still scared of me, or Carver Hawke?" he griped.

Cat took her pack off, and moved up to the chest as she pulled her lockpicks out of a pouch on her belt. She looked back at him, eyebrows furrowed. "The mages are scared of you?" she asked. "Whatever for?"

"My templar abilities, I assume," he answered with a frown, as she knelt in front of the chest, and viewed the lock. "They aren't so bad, but I suppose old habits are hard to break."

"Hmm," she replied, as she began picking the lock, listening intently to the tumblers. She thought it curious that Alistair had stopped speaking as well, but with all the rogues he had been around over the years, he probably was used to them needing quiet to pick locks.

With a few more movements, the lock opened, and she stored her picks back where they belonged, before opening the chest.

"Strange," she said, looking in. "What do you think, Al?" she asked, even as he leaned to look over her shoulder.

"Must be important stuff," he replied and she handed him the few parchments that were covered with runic writing. "And that is shiny…" he continued. Removing the pages had uncovered several large gems.

"No kidding…" she said a little breathlessly. "I'm not one for rocks, but wow." Cat lifted up the ruby that was the size of her palm, as well as an emerald. "This will keep the wardens in food for awhile longer," she said with a smile and placed the two gems along with a a smaller diamond, malachite, opal, and a few pearls into her pack.

"Should we take them?" Alistair asked, concerned.

"We do have to get paid," Cat replied matter of factly. "And besides, we're going to seal this place away once we actually get out of here."

"Oh?" he said in response. "That information would have been nice at an earlier point," he said, giving her a look.

"Well, I didn't want to simply inform you of that," she said, hitting herself mentally for doing just that. "You should all form your own opinions."

The next look he gave her had her turning away. "Let's keep going," she said, starting off. "We still need to find that door."

"This way," Alistair said, smiling at his friend, knowing too well what she was thinking, and how she was going to keep trying to change the subject.

"So, you explained the mages, but why not spend time with Carver?" she asked. "I thought he was better than at first."

 _ _Two can play that game, Catarina…__ he thought with a chuckle. "Yes, better," he replied. "But still very young, and he feels like he has a lot to prove." Alistair continued to walk, giving a lengthy pause. "And he doesn't really like me."

"What?" Cat said, insulted on behalf of her friend. "He said that?" she turned and demanded furiously.

"Not in so many words," Alistair said with a smirk, pleased at her reaction, and knowing he would continue to enjoy her further reactions. "But he did say I was far too much like his brother."

Cat stopped, her mouth open to reply, but her words failed her. She closed her mouth, thinking quickly. Turning to continue walking she mumbled, "I see."

She turned back, aghast at Alistair's loud belly laugh. "Were you just messing with me?" she asked angrily, as he continued to laugh. "Al! It's not funny!" she complained when he didn't answer.

"I'll have to disagree on that," he managed to get out between chuckles, as he calmed down. "Your face… was so priceless…" he said haltingly between breaths.

"I hate you," she muttered, striding off.

"Cat! C'mon, don't be mad," he said, chasing after her, and pulling her to a stop. He wrapped his arms around her, even as she cursed him halfheartedly. "I wasn't lying, that's really what he said," Alistair told her with a smile. "I was just so happy to see you ready to fight for someone insulting me. I don't have so many friends, you know. It was really nice to see, that's all."

He loosened his hold, and looked down at her face. "Thank you, truly."

She softened a little before remembering his laughing, and she turned mutinous again. "Yeah, the laughing really conveyed your gratitude," she commented dryly.

"Well, I am your friend," he replied with a smile. "You're practically family! It's my job to tease you about your love life after all."

"What love life?" she asked miserably. "I'm fairly sure I've ruined that when I left."

"Pfft," he made an unbelieving noise at her. "I sincerely doubt that." His smile turned teasing again. "Though if true, you've got plenty of back ups with the wardens…" he said slyly, while his eyebrows wiggled up and down.

His face became serious, when she looked sad instead of embarrassed. "Hey, hey," he said, using his hands to pull her face up to look into his. "What's this?" he asked. "Is Nathaniel giving you a hard time?" he asked.

"No," she said shaking her head. "Though he won't just give up, he's not pushing me at all. It's not that, don't worry."

"Of course I'll worry," he said, giving her a small smile. "Will you tell me?" he asked.

She reached up, taking his hands from her face. "It's nothing, really. Little doubts that like to eat at me sometimes."

"About Hawke?" he asked, and she nodded.

"I'm learning to get rid of them, to not think them… but they are still there," she answered. "Come on, we'd better get going."

"Okay," he answered. "So tell me a story about being on Isabela's ship," he said, distracting her, happy to see her smile in response.

"Well, there was one point where Issy decided that the crew needed to be ranked, so she set up all these contests. Strength, speed, cooking ability, looks… she went all out."

"Sounds exactly as I remember her," Alistair said dryly, but smiling at her happiness.

* * *

"So, what are we doing out here?" Varric asked as the group made their way to the Bone Pit.

"Delivering these pick axes, for one," Sebastian said, the large pack on his back weighing him down.

"Obviously," Varric responded lightly. "But Hawke must have something else in mind, to bring all of us here, and it most definitely isn't just a simple delivery."

"Perhaps I simply miss having you all together," Hawke answered in jest. He looked from Varric, to Sebastian, to Aveline, Merrill, and finally to Anders. "Just how did I let you talk me into not giving you a pack?" Hawke asked the dwarf, the only one of them without a huge bundle of tools.

"Did I not get one?" Varric replied with a smirk. "Huh, I knew something was off."

"Don't think you're getting out of paying me, Varric," Aveline muttered, and Hawke looked again, seeing her load was in fact, larger than the rest. He glanced back at Varric with a dry look.

"Hey, you never said I had to carry it, just that it was my responsibility," Varric said by way of defense. "Paying Aveline to carry it seemed the best solution for everyone." Hawke shook his head, a smile on his face.

"So Hawke, how are things going in the city?" Sebastian asked. He had recently returned from a trip to Starkhaven, and this was the first he had had time to speak to Hawke.

"About the same, unfortunately," Hawke replied. "Tensions seemed to ebb for a little while, but then the templars discovered one of the tunnels used by the mage underground, and sealed it off. The Knight Commander gave harsh punishments to all the mages in retaliation."

Sebastian shook his head, though it was easy for him to believe. "I know that both sides cannot back down, but it seems this conflict will only escalate until one side is eradicated if this continues."

"Considering if the mages back down it means servitude, tranquility or death, there is hardly a choice!" Anders defended vehemently.

"I know we do not agree on that point Anders," Sebastian said calmly. "But it is hard to see any other solution. The templars are backed by the Chantry, and do the Maker's work. This is a fight that cannot be won by the mages," he continued. "I do not want to see the death of so many," he added.

"I can understand your point of view," Hawke said, cutting off Anders' furious reply. "Though you can surely understand why we may feel differently," he said, and Sebastian nodded.

"Being the Champion does have it's perks in that regard," Varric cut in. "At least the Knight Commander can't arrest you, or Blondie."

"That is in part because of the Chantry as well," Sebastian reminded them.

"As well as the people," Aveline added dryly.

"Of course," Sebastian conceded. "The Knight Commander would have a riot on her hands if she tried to arrest Hawke."

"And that's fair?" Anders exploded. "Mages all over work tirelessly to improve the city just as Hawke, but because they are not him, they are made tranquil, or killed!"

"Life isn't fair," Sebastian said, though he agreed, to an extent. "I wish there were another solution, but many have been trying for years to find one."

"I agree," Hawke said loudly, causing the others to look at him. "In that there needs to be another solution. The way things are, it is only a matter of time before something drastic happens. But I can't say that anyone submitting at this point will make a difference. There truly is no easy answer here. It will probably get worse before it gets better."

"Something drastic…" Anders murmured.

"Plenty of the guard feel the same," Aveline said. "Some have taken sides, but most are trying to stay neutral, because they can feel for those on both sides. In fact, I've heard that there are even templars that feel the same, though obviously no one would come forward and say so to Meredith."

"Sounds the same as the rumors I've been hearing," Varric said. "Though I didn't put much stock in them."

"There are such things as good templars," Hawke said, smiling as he heard Anders snort. "The problem is that they are few and far between, or they are taught otherwise. It is not easy to see the bad side of your own people," he added. "Whether they be mages or templars. There are those that give cause for the fear that is running rampant through our city."

"Too right," Aveline added.

"Uh, Hawke?" Merrill asked, and he turned to her with a smile.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Has anyone heard from Isabela and Fenris? Or Cat? I miss them."

Hawke looked down to Varric, signaling that he answer her question. "Sorry Daisy. Like I said before, we're sure that the Little Dove is with her warden friends, since the Hero of Ferelden replied to our letter a few months back. But nothing, not even rumors about Broody and Rivaini."

"Oh, okay. Thanks Varric," she replied.

"Here we are," Hawke said as the group walked into the Bone Pit.

"This place always makes me think that my life isn't so bad…" Anders said softly, as they followed Hawke into the camp.

"What… what happened here?" Hawke asked in shock, and the others stopped as they looked around.

"Uh…" Varric made a noise, seeing the bodies all around. Some were gored, some were in pieces, and yet there weren't nearly enough to account for all the workers that should have been there.

All around the camp, were fires. It looked to Hawke as though bandits had hacked the people and set fire to everything, though it seemed such a waste.

"This doesn't look like bandits, " Aveline said as she threw down her burden and moved over to the charred remains of the camp. "What sort of bandits would burn the supplies instead of taking them?"

"Revenge?" Varric asked, as he too went for a closer look. "Just to get back at Hawke or the other owner?" he asked.

"There was that Carta fellow that was stealing from us awhile back, but we killed him," Hawke said. "Maybe one of his people?"

"This doesn't seem like people at all," Merrill spoke up as she examined some of the dead. "More like being ripped apart by animals. See here?" she asked Hawke, who came over to peer where she was pointing, and seeing large slashes across a man's body.

"An animal made that?" he asked. "Those would be ginormous claws." He put his hand up, looking between it and the slashes. "What kind of animal has claws like broadswords?" he asked.

Before anyone could answer, a loud roar was heard throughout the area, and the group all looked to each other.

Hawke wasn't sure if he said it or just thought it, but it was audible anyway since several spoke at once.

"Dragon…"

* * *

"Brogan, this is Cat, and this is Alistair. They are with me," Duran said as he introduced them to Jerrik's brother, who was now as solid as they were.

"I'm glad to see you back to normal," Alistair said with a smile.

"More likely you are now as I was," Brogan replied without a hint of teasing.

"Right…"Alistair replied, looking distressed at Cat, who shook her head slightly, and he sighed in relief.

"Did you find anything?" Duran asked.

"Some more writings," Cat said, "and a few treasures," she added, handing a bag filled with gems to Jerrik. "We kept the coin, though it was considerably less, as payment. I think you will get much more out of these than we could in any case."

He opened the bag, seeing the gems of varying sizes, including the large fist sized ones that Cat had first found. He looked at her in surprise.

"You can look in my bag if you don't believe me," she added, not sure how to interpret his look.

"There is no need," Jerrik replied. "I… admit, I am not used to dealing with humans that deal fairly with me."

"Well, I'm happy to be the first," she answered, giving him a smile, and getting a small one in return.

"We need to leave, as quickly as we can!" Brogan said suddenly. "Though we will never escape alive!"

Jerrik looked to his brother in concern. "We need to stop whatever it was that killed everyone, brother. We owe them that much."

"Then we will also die," Brogan said dully.

"Way to think positively," Cat mumbled.

"He's traumatized," Nathaniel said quietly. "I'm sure he watched everyone he came here with get ripped apart," he said as he pointed to the slashes on her armor.

Cat gave a nod, but didn't speak again, seeing Duran finally looking up from the papers she had given him.

"This is an explanation, though it isn't good," he said, gaining everyone's attention. "There was a dwarf that started this, though his name is not on here. He and a mage from Tevinter came here to try to make golems, experimenting on those that would not be missed."

"The castless?" Jerrik asked, understanding what he meant, but hoping he was wrong.

"Indeed," Duran replied with a nod. "It says that they experimented in flesh instead of stone, as was the mage's ability. They made huge golem bodies of flesh from many dwarves, and then bound a fade spirit to it."

"An abomination…" Alistair said in quiet horror.

"Yes."

"But…" Cat started, thinking back.

"What is it?" Duran asked.

"That thing that slashed at me," she said, running her hand over her breastplate. "It was not a huge golem. In fact it was smaller than you are."

The dwarves glanced at each other, then to the third as he began to wail and thrash, calling out names of those that he had been travelling with.

"Brogan?" Jerrik asked, trying to calm him.

"What's the plan Commander?" Nathaniel asked Duran.

"Looks like we go hunting," he replied, looking concerned at the flailing dwarf. "We cannot allow this thing to continue to kill, or worse if it were to get free. Now I understand the magic sealing this place."

"We may not be able to leave unless we do kill it," Alistair added.

"We'd better stick together then," Cat said. "It will be one tough fight." She looked over in concern at the dwarf that had succeeded in calming his brother by talking of revenge. "Jerrik found a control rod… maybe the fight will be easier if we can find a golem to help us."

"They are pretty helpful in a fight," Alistair replied. "At least Shale was. I'm not sure about one that only responds to a control rod."

"I'm more worried about you being the only warrior, taking the brunt of the damage, and us not having a healer," she responded.

"Brogan is also a warrior," Jerrik spoke up, having heard her last comment. "As well as Danica," he said, speaking of his bronto.

"I'd feel just as bad if either of them were hurt," she replied, and he gave her a smirk.

"Then we'll have to make sure and give them plenty of cover," he said as he stood, pulling his brother up as well. "We'll take that thing down, if it is the last we do. Our house would expect no less."

"Then we'd better get started," Duran said with a grin. "Let's go hunting."

* * *

Hawke was uncertain, but he tried not to show it. He was sure that they were facing a fully grown dragon, at the least, with only one warrior, two rogues, and three mages. He prayed desperately to the Maker that that was all they had to deal with.

He couldn't in good conscience leave, even to bring more fighters, though he didn't have any of his own. It would take time to hire, or convince others to come, and by then more could be dead.

If he sent even one of his people back for help, they would find themselves at a severe disadvantage. They others didn't really understand, but he had discovered since meeting Cat that he needed to listen to the niggling bad feeling that would come over him from time to time.

This was one of those times.

He couldn't explain it, but he felt that if any of them left now, something worse would happen. So, he made the impossible decision, and they were looking for the dragon that had made that roar.

He led his crew through the area, finding nothing, before spotting an opened path into the lower area of the mine that had been blocked in the past by a landslide of rocks. Years ago they had fought a drake in that area with only a few people. __Perhaps this will be similar…__ he thought. __I can only hope.__

He strode forward, hoping that his false confidence would give courage to the others. Without warning, he heard the sound of wings, and the group turned, seeing a dragon bearing down and flying over them to land beyond.

"A HIGH DRAGON!"

Hawke heard the various cursing around him, even as his mind spiraled. It was even worse than he feared, and the thought of the high dragon attacking Kirkwall had him steeling himself.

"Everyone!" he called, and they went quiet at his shout. "If we do not take care of this monster, it will attack our city!"

"Our friends, our family, our home!" he continued, as he stared at the beast, who seemed to be staring back at them. "All are in danger, and we are the only thing that stands between them!"

"We're with you Hawke!" Aveline called, her sword and shield at the ready.

"What should we do?" Anders asked, his staff out.

"Aveline, stay steady, we have mostly ranged fighters, so you are on the defensive," he began to outline his plan. "I want you to move around between the five of us, when you can. The rest of you, save something big for when Aveline is coming to you. The dragon will most likely target you after a big attack, and she'll be there to help keep you safe."

They nodded at him, seeing the picture he was making. "I can hope it's only the dragon, but we all know our luck isn't that good." He smirked at them as they nodded and smiled at that. "Keep an eye out behind the person nearest you and give warnings if you see anything else coming. If so, one takes care of the new arrivals, while the other continues to attack the dragon."

His gaze went back to the dragon, which looked like it was getting agitated. "This will be a long fight, so don't let yourselves run out of mana or stamina," he warned. "Anyone have potions?" he asked, surprised when all of them nodded.

"Well, seems after this, I need to get my act together," he muttered to himself.

"Here we go then," he said more clearly. "We can do this, just don't take any big risks unless you're clear to do so. Keep light on your feet, to stay away from anything the dragon may spit at us."

Glancing around at the nods around him, he gave them a smile. "We're the best crew in Kirkwall," he added. "If anyone can do this, we can."

With that said, he led the charge.

* * *

"Ancestors…" Jerrik gaped, as the skittering creature jumped onto what had looked like a large rock… until it turned around to face them.

"Abomination…" Alistair said under his breath, his sword and shield out in front of him as he moved in front of his friends.

Nathaniel moved back and to the side, giving himself a clear shot, immediately shooting an arrow into the head of the creature.

"It's like that thing is now controlling that huge body," Duran said in disgusted awe.

"Commander!" Alistair shouted, moving in to block a swipe the monster made at Duran. Duran shook himself as he moved away, notching a bolt into his crossbow.

"Al! You okay?" Cat called, moving around to see him, as he stood again.

"Fine!" he called, even as he waded in toward the thing. "And how are you?" he teased.

"Andraste's eardrum, Alistair, focus!" she shouted back, exasperated.

"How about a wager?" Alistair called, even as he thrust forward with his sword, and dodged the counterattack.

"What?!" she yelled, as she dodged the swipe from the large claws of the skittering creature that sat atop the body. She was having a hard time getting close enough with that thing's long reach, and every swipe with her daggers on the rest of the body didn't even make it pause, as if it couldn't feel it.

"Anything you want, if you get the kill!" he called out, forcing her to turn, back up and stare at him.

"Are you serious?!" she demanded. "We're trying to kill this thing, not grant your wishes!" she yelled at him, and he laughed.

"Come on, you can't deny that you want to see your friends again," he yelled.

"Or that shadow armor of mine?" Nathaniel added as he continued to shoot at the thing.

"A trip anywhere you want?" Duran called out. "Or a new crossbow?"

"WHAT IS THIS!?" Cat yelled, trying to focus on what she was doing.

"Does that mean you're in?" Alistair shouted back with a laugh.

Cat scooted back, looking to where Jerrik, Danica, and Brogan were fighting with all their might. Even the wardens looked as if they were using everything they had, but she knew they weren't since they were having this conversation. She looked for the downside, but decided to just take it. They wouldn't let anything too terrible happen.

"Fine! I'm in!" she yelled, moving up to the harvester, jumping off its leg to gain height and stabbing her dagger into it's head.

It screamed, and the scuttling creature swiped out, barely missing her with its talon-like claws. It jumped away from the huge body, skimming over the floor attacking and running in turn around each of them.

"Nice one!" Nathaniel called out, even as he aimed and shot the thing several times as it ran. Its screams hurt her ears, but she stayed focused, pulling out another dagger to replace what she had lost.

The little beast finally made its way back to its larger body, since it was unable to do damage in its smaller form. Cat ran for it, determined to put another dagger in it.

"Danica! Give me a boost!" she called, happy the bronto did just that, bending her head down, and swinging up as Cat landed there, flinging her in the air. Cat grabbed onto the harvester, blocking the claw that moved to her, and stabbing it several times before she fell off.

"Ow!" she called as she landed painfully on her backside. "That'll bruise," she moaned.

She looked up at hearing a yell, seeing Alistair going in for the kill, his sword stabbing straight into the creature's face, even as an arrow and a bolt appeared on either side of his sword, one in each eye of the thing.

The Harvester screamed, convulsing as it fell from the large flesh body, landing near Cat, so she moved away from it. After a moment it was still, though she stabbed a few extra times- just to be sure.

She looked back up, seeing the three wardens looking at her with identical smirks.

All three of them spoke at once, all variations of how their attack had felled it, and Cat smiled as she sat there, listening to each of them argue their case.

She turned to the brothers, making sure they were each okay, and saw that they were hugging each other, which made her heart swell.

She stood, and made her way to Danica the bronto, giving her a once over, and asking if she was okay. The trumpeting sound she heard in reply she took as a yes.

Noting that the others were now either sitting or leaning on something, she sat back down- carefully, as her tail bone felt bruised- taking the rest while she could. She looked around and smiled, glad that she was among friends, and fighters.

* * *

Hawke didn't dare try to move. He could feel his burnt skin, the way it tightened on his bones, the way it felt open and vulnerable. He simply lay there, waiting for Anders to have enough energy to heal him.

Anders had learned from Hawke long ago to treat the worst injuries first, and while he continued to balk against the order, especially when it put Fenris before Cat or Hawke, he understood Hawke's motivations at least.

Hawke opened his eyes, as Anders finally came to him.

"That was a stupid move," Anders said, giving him the look he reserved just for when his friends were reckless.

"But it worked," Hawke replied, trying to smirk, but not really succeeding, as he grimaced against the pain.

"This time," Anders muttered. "Next time you try it, the dragon won't try breathe fire on you, but will swat you off with its tail."

"Ssh! Don't give the other dragons ideas!" Hawke teased, even as he groaned.

"Just stay quiet until I finish," Anders grumbled, trying to hide his smile at Hawke's words.

"How can I?" Hawke asked, already feeling better as his skin became supple again. He frowned at the slight discoloration along his bicep, but shrugged it off. __It had been the worst of the injury after all. I guess I'm lucky I still__ have __skin,__ he thought.

"How can you what?" Merrill asked, from where she lay resting nearby. Hawke sat up slowly, ignoring Anders complaining, and looked around. Aveline had looked the worst off, but now she merely looked like she was taking a nap in the sun, if he didn't count the bandages. And, they were all nearby.

"How can I stay quiet?" he answered Merrill. "We took down a __high__ dragon! Us!" He looked around at them again. "We are amazing!"

"We were almost dragon food," Aveline said dryly.

"Almost doesn't count Aveline, since we're still alive!" Hawke replied happily. "And just imagine how Varric will embellish this!"

"In his story, we'll have taken down two!" Merrill squealed, getting into his excitement.

"Or it will have just been Hawke, all alone against the mighty beast," Anders said, trying to keep his smile at bay.

"I think it would be more exciting if we battled several mature dragons, and at the end of our energy when the high dragon shows up," Sebastian said, getting into the spirit of things.

"Amateurs," Varric said with a sigh. "Don't start thinking of taking my place, all right?" he said, glaring around at them all.

Anders finished with Hawke, collapsing on the ground next to him.

"We get to rest now, right Hawke?" he asked, even as he closed his eyes.

"Yeah," Hawke answered. "You've all earned it, and more besides." He smiled as he looked around at each of them, as they all sighed, relaxing on the ground. "Just think, how much money you'll have earned once we sell the dragon hide."

"Not to mention the notoriety," Varric added. "The city will sure be grateful."

"Make sure you mention there were mages involved, when you retell this," Anders replied to him.

"And the guard," Aveline added.

"Hmm… maybe the guard captain and Hawke come upon some rebel mages, and they realize they have to fight together to stay alive?" Varric said, giving Anders a teasing grin, when he sat up in righteous anger.

"Just kidding Blondie. Relax."

"This one may be exciting enough as it was," Hawke said, as he too laid back down. "The greatest team in Kirkwall, keeping our city safe, even when we're missing a few people. We still get the job done."


	93. Chapter 93

Cat laid in bed, looking up at the ceiling. Her mind was telling her to stop being lazy and get up to help Delilah, but she continued to simply lay there, contemplating.

 _ _Besides, it's not laziness if there is a purpose,__ she thought to herself. She had made a new habit of using time in the mornings to think about her life- where she was, where she was going, what she should do. Sometimes she even let her mind conjure what would happen if she were to interfere drastically with things in Thedas… and not liking any of the consequences she came up with.

That morning she simply wondered once again what she was doing there. Nathaniel had used the fact that he had had one of the kill strikes on the harvester to get her to travel with him to Amaranthine to visit his sister. She had thought it would be a horrible idea, and only make him more bold in his attempt to court her, but a deal was a deal.

She had used the travel time to explain to him about her ex-husband, how they had started as friends, and she had grown to love him. And she explained plainly how long it had taken her to finally feel something for someone else, and that wasn't him.

He stubbornly held on to his desire to wait her out- after all, they wouldn't know if she would end up with Hawke, since Hawke wasn't trying to commit to her. And while she agreed that she didn't know how things with Hawke would end, she couldn't let Nathaniel simply be waiting in the wings for her. That was no life, especially one she would want for him.

Not wanting him to waste his time, she finally told him that she didn't feel that way about him. He merely smirked, and made some comment about how she would eventually admit that she did.

Cat rubbed her hand over her face, remembering as she lay there. No matter what she had done or said, he always had a smart reply. She had even thought of simply kissing him, as she had done with Fenris and Anders, just to prove that there was nothing there- but had decided against it.

 _ _After all,__ she thought, __what if there was something? If Hawke wasn't a factor, I'd be sorely tempted… though my feelings for Nate remind me so much of my feelings for Steven that it is easy to see how I could come to love him if I let myself, though wouldn't that be more like what I felt for Steven, not Hawke?__

And so she couldn't let herself. She gave herself a mental slap. No point in thinking about it, because Garrett Hawke WAS a factor- an incredibly huge one at that. After feeling the intensity between them, how could she settle- or let Nathaniel settle- for less than that?

 _ _Maybe Delilah could help me?__ Cat thought. __Though the siblings were close, they haven't spent much time together, but as his sister she may have some thoughts as to how to get him to let go of his stubbornness?__

With that thought, Cat nodded, and rose. She dressed quickly, deciding to play it by ear. Perhaps there would be a good time to speak to Delilah, and perhaps not. But maybe she could get the information she wanted without letting Delilah know the reason behind it. After all, Nathaniel was most likely stubborn even when they were younger.

Coming into the kitchen from her room, Cat used her fingers to brush through her hair, grateful that it was growing again. It was still very short, just below her chin, but it had already grown a bit since she had cut it, and it made her happy to feel.

"Cat!"

Cat turned to the sound, seeing Delilah come rushing in the back door. "What is it?" she asked, concerned.

"It's Nathaniel! He left!"

"What?" Cat asked, surprised. "Why? To where?"

"I tried to stop him," the brunette said as she panted slightly. "Please! You have to hurry and follow him!"

"I don't understand," Cat said, her hands coming up to help Delilah to a seat. Delilah countered by shoving Cat back toward the room where she was staying. "Quickly! Get dressed and packed, I'll explain while you do!"

Cat stood another moment, but decided that would be best. Obviously something was going on, and it wasn't good. She moved back into the room, and pulled out her armor, and began to don it.

"We were in the market, getting some goods," Delilah explained. "A dwarf came up and started speaking to Nathaniel, calling him Warden. It unnerved me, but Nathaniel just ushered me over to continue shopping. I went and got some fruit, listening as best as I could and then Nathaniel was explaining how he needed to go."

"Go?" Cat asked, and Delilah nodded.

"He asked me to watch over you, and explained that he wouldn't leave you unless he had to. I asked where he thought he was going so suddenly, and when we got here, he just grabbed his pack and strode back out the door! I didn't have time to grab you then, so I followed him. Cat! He's going to the Deep Roads! Apparently the dwarf's children went in search of the Champion of Kirkwall's famous treasure trove, and were lost!"

"So he went after them?" Cat asked, hurriedly throwing her clothes in her pack.

"Yes! With no food, no water! What was he thinking?!"

"Probably that he had no time to waste, and neither do I," Cat shot back, throwing the pack on her back, and sheathing her daggers. "I'll take whatever you have readily available, but I'm going to have to hurry to catch him."

Delilah nodded, and ran for the kitchen, grabbing anything that she could easily and putting them in a sack. She barely had it ready as Cat came through heading for the door.

"Which way?" Cat asked, as Delilah shoved the bag at her.

"I'll show you," Delilah said, grabbing her arm and leading her out. "This way."

The women moved at a quick pace, hardly speaking, until just outside of town. "That over there," Delilah pointed. "That large door is a cavern and it leads to the Deep Roads. There are a few guards, but you should be able to get them to let you pass, when you tell them you are with Nathaniel. From what he has said there are not many that use it, so you should be able to find him."

"Thank you," Cat said, turning back to her. "For letting me into your home as well as helping me follow him."

"Please, help him come back. He sees a problem, and he stubbornly thinks only he knows what must be done. He wouldn't want to put anyone in danger, even if it would help keep him safe."

"I was just thinking this morning that maybe you might have answers on how to counteract his stubbornness," Cat said, even as she took off her pack and quickly added the sack of food, then putting it back on.

"There isn't really a counteraction," Delilah said with a worried smile. "But eventually he either comes to his senses, or someone else points out the mistake."

"I see," Cat replied. She started toward the large door she could see in the distance, and after a moment, turned around. "This will beyond even the two of us," she said vaguely. "If you can have the wardens send others, it will help."

Having said her piece, she continued on, not waiting for a reply.

* * *

Convincing the guards at the door was easier than she thought, but they were really tasked with keeping anyone from coming out, not so much with keeping people from going in. And she was dressed in warden gear, so they probably assumed she was one.

The lack of light in the tunnel was something she should have thought of, but there were a few torches lit at the entrance, and asking Duran for forgiveness, and a mental note to let him know so he could replace them- she took the torches one by one snuffing out the fire on all but one. Carrying the others with her, since she had no idea how long she would be in the tunnel, and she didn't want to find herself without light, she started off with the lit torch in her hand.

At first it was simple, the tunnel didn't have any forks, it was just a large hallway. There were several rooms at the beginning, but she didn't bother to check them. Nathaniel would come here to stop at a room.

She dug back to her training with him during hunts, looking for his tracks in the dust and dirt on the ground. She wanted to familiarize herself with them so that when she came to a fork she would know which tracks to follow.

She moved at a fast pace, getting her lecture ready. He was definitely going to hear how she felt about his latest decision.

* * *

Delilah couldn't say that she was happy to be riding toward the Warden's Keep, but it had been so long since she was able to ride a horse, and she could easily admit to missing it, especially riding so fast.

The wind whipped at her hair and her face, but she just urged the mare on faster. She wasn't sure why, but she had a horrible feeling ever since Cat had said she and Nathaniel would need help.

Delilah was determined to get them that help.

It had been easy to see that her brother cared for the other woman, but she also noted that Cat didn't have the same feel about her, though she could tell that Cat did care. And when Delilah had tried to get some information out of her brother the night before, he was surprisingly tight lipped. It gave her the feeling that his stubbornness was at play again.

Once when he was younger, and he had been training, he had sworn that he would not only master the sword, but be better than their father. He worked and worked and worked, and though the archery and dagger work came more naturally and easily, he refused them for the sword because he had sworn to do so, his stubborn nature not letting him change his mind.

This situation reminded her of it, because while he was determined to court his beautiful companion, she could practically see that his heart wasn't all the way in it. More, like he had decided it before, and was now hanging on out of sheer stubbornness.

Delilah smiled, knowing what that was like, and also knowing how easily her own perspective had changed once she met Albert. She thanked the Maker daily that she was able to look past her own stubborn nature in that regard, and wondered how and when her older brother would learn the same lesson.

* * *

It had been four days.

 _ _Four days.__

Four days, and not a single sighting of Nathaniel. Cat couldn't help but worry that she was going the wrong way, and several times she backtracked, even knowing that he would get even further ahead of her, but she __had__ to reassure herself that she was actually following him and not wandering the Deep Roads aimlessly.

Her worry would switch often enough with her anger to keep her going. She couldn't imagine what he had been thinking, and if there was something he knew that had been discussed with Duran that had him running off to save these dwarves, then why hadn't she been told?!

To simply leave her in Amaranthine, especially when she was supposed to still be protected by the wardens… it wasn't like Nathaniel at all.

 _ _Perhaps he was bored? He must be used to the action, and with me there, there was hardly any…__ she thought, before shaking her head. __We had just gotten back from Amgarrak! So unless he's an adrenaline junkie, there is a reason that I simply don't know.__

It didn't help to realize that, as it had her mind churning with options as to what had given Nathaniel such a scare that he had left immediately.

A stray thought entered her head, and she shook it off, but it nagged at her. __Perhaps he left so quickly to avoid having me go with him? Because I most certainly would have insisted on it…__

Shaking her head, she looked back down at the tracks she was following. There was no mistake, they were his. Not only was he not trying to disguise them, but they were the only fresh tracks. All others were from months, if not years prior, and were hardly discernible.

If she remembered correctly, the primeval thaig was at least a week below the surface, but again, that was from Kirkwall. It had to be longer than that from Amaranthine. Nathaniel had a great lead on her, but she'd catch up eventually.

Picking herself up from her sleeping spot, she placed the clothes she had used as a pillow back in her bag, and set off again. It was difficult to sleep more than a few hours at a time down here, and she hoped that Nathaniel didn't have the same issue. It would help her catch him more quickly.

* * *

Delilah pushed her hair away from her face, and looked over at Albert. He gave her an encouraging smile, and took her hand.

"Come on my sweet, we'll get some information once we disembark."

She nodded, unable to completely get rid of her worried expression. When she had gone home from the Warden's Keep over ten days ago, her husband Albert had listened as she explained what had happened with their house guests.

He had been concerned as well when she told him that Cat had said they were heading into a situation where they needed help, and grew even more troubled as his wife started crying when she told him of the warden's dismissal of her worries for her brother's safety.

They had told her plainly, that he was one of the best, and knew what he was doing. Not only that, but their Keep had been infiltrated by members of the Carta, looking for Maker only knew. Albert was simply glad that Delilah hadn't been in the middle of all of that.

However, loving his wife as he did, and knowing what having her brother nearby did for her, he offered to take her along on his next business trip, which coincidentally happened to be heading to the Free Marches. They would be leaving the next day, and the first stop was Kirkwall.

Looking out now at the city, he recalled why he usually stayed on the ship until they came to the next port of call. He just didn't like the feel of the docks, and it was probably because of the history of slavers there. But he led his wife off the ship anyway.

"I think the first stop should be either the Viscount's office, or the Chantry," he said to her as they walked away from the ship. "We don't have long, so they will be the easiest way to find out about the Champion."

"Then we should split up," Delilah said resolutely. "I'll go to the Chantry, see what I can find. You can meet me there in the courtyard. That way you won't have to worry about my safety."

Albert smiled at her lovingly. "You know me too well," he said, moving over to get directions from one of the locals. The ship's captain was giving them time, mostly due to the money Albert gave for the sailors to have some shore leave, but he knew they could decide to shove off at any time, so they had to make haste.

* * *

Delilah was aggravated, that was the pure and simple truth. The initiates were playing with her, she could tell. They seemed only interested in why she was looking for the Champion, not actually helping her find him.

She finally stomped away, and back out into the courtyard. She turned in a slow circle taking in the high walls, and the large statues. __This city is so different from Amaranthine,__ she thought. __It almost reminds me of Denerim, if the statues were gone I guess.__

Delilah moved away from the coming and going of the crowd, waiting for Albert to return. She sincerely hoped that he had better luck. She tried to not simply put her face in her hands and cry out her frustration.

"Drop it Anders, I'm tired of hearing it."

Delilah looked up at the voice. Why those words specifically should capture her attention, she wasn't sure, but the name was familiar- Nathaniel's stories from previous visits would always involve one of three people. The warden commander, Alistair, or Anders.

And though she had never met any of them, the stories made her feel like she knew them, and her brother a little better. She looked around, trying to match the voice she had heard with the people walking around her.

"Don't act like you feel differently," another man spoke, and Delilah followed the voice to a pair of men that looked like opposites of each other, heading out from the Chantry towards the markets.

"Sebastian may have opposing views, but he is still our friend," the darker man said, and though he smiled, Delilah could hear the undercurrent of annoyance in his tone.

"For now," the blond man replied. "But what happens when one of us is taken? Will he be willing to help? Or will he simply say that we deserved it?"

She couldn't say why exactly, but Delilah started walking after them.

"I guess we'll have to wait to cross that bridge until we come to it," the darker man retorted.

"Ugh, Hawke!" The blonde rolled his eyes. "One of these second chances you insist on giving will wind up with your death, I am certain."

"As long as we understand each other," the brunette smirked at his friend. He stopped suddenly, and turned around, finding Delilah behind them. "Something I can help you with?" he asked, though his tone made it seem a little threatening.

"Please Serah," Delilah said as she stepped closer, keeping her voice down. "Are you truly Master Hawke? The Champion?" she asked.

"Some say that," he replied, not easing his stance. "And you are?" he asked.

"Delilah Howe," she replied, trying to keep the tears in her eyes from falling. "Thank the Maker I've found you," she practically whispered, her hands clutched in front of herself, as if in prayer.

"Howe?" The blonde asked.

"Yes," she replied, looking up at them, resolute. "You may know my brother, Nathaniel."

Now Hawke's stance eased, and he looked around. He gave a small nod with his head gesturing the other two over to the wall.

"I thought Nathaniel said that you lived in Amaranthine?" the blond asked her. "Oh… apologies. My name is Anders."

"I have heard of you Serah," Delilah replied with a smile.

"Well put me in a dress and call me a templar," he said, grinning. "Though you heard nothing good, I'm certain," Anders murmured. "What brings you to Kirkwall?" he asked.

"It's my brother," she said. "He and a friend were visiting, when a dwarf came up to him, and explained about how his sons had followed your expedition, and were lost. He needed help to bring them back."

"Ugh, how did they even hear about where it was?" Hawke mumbled. "And what did he do?" he asked her.

Delilah turned to the man that was the city's champion, and she felt she understood why. He was not just disregarding her… he was listening. And the kindness on his face was not something she dealt with very often, except from her husband. It broke through her guard very easily.

"I'm not worried about Nathaniel," Anders commented. "He's crawled out of worse places alive. Though I wonder if he ever found a sense of humor."

Delilah frowned at him, turning back to speak to Hawke.

"From what he had said previously, the wardens knew about your route, but hadn't yet explored it. They were still deciding what to do. When he showed up again, I assumed that that's what he was doing, but he merely wanted a visit," she explained.

"After speaking to the dwarf however, he left immediately, even asking me to care for his companion. I went home to inform his companion hoping that they would travel together at least. Nathaniel didn't stop to pack food or water, and I was very worried. But then when Cat said-"

"Wait, what?" Anders and Hawke said at once.

"What?" Delilah asked stepping back.

"Cat was his companion?" Anders asked, reaching for Delilah. "You're sure?"

"Yes… do you know her as well?" she asked shakily. They had startled her, and she was still a little unnerved. "She took provisions and followed after him, but said to me that they wouldn't be able to handle it all alone."

She stopped, seeing that Anders looked like he was going to be sick, where Hawke looked like he was contemplating the information she was giving.

"I went straight for the wardens at the Keep, but they ignored me, and my worries," she continued. "I traveled here with my husband to beg you for help!" she said, her voice getting louder in her desperation. "It's been over ten days, and I'm afraid that they are in trouble, and can't return."

She turned to Hawke, knowing that he was the one in charge. "Please Master Hawke! Won't you help them?"

Hawke didn't answer, not right away. He glanced between her and Anders, and then looked up at the sky.

"I'm… uncertain. It will be up to my crew."

"Please…" she asked. "He's my brother."

Hawke looked at the woman in sympathy, even when her husband suddenly joined them, and took Delilah Howe away to catch their boat, he continued to think of the sorrow on her face and her words.

He knew what it was like to worry and fear for a brother in the wardens. And that more than anything had him moving.

"Anders, looks like we'd better gather everyone at the Hanged Man. We'll meet in Varric's room." Anders looked at him hopefully, but he tried not to think about that. "I'll get Sebastian and Aveline, you gather the other two."

Anders nodded and left, walking quickly. Hawke looked after him a moment, before gazing up at the Chantry, and heading back in.

"Maker's breath," he muttered. "Now what do I do?"

* * *

"The Little Dove? Truly?"

"Why would she follow him down there?" Aveline asked, scrunching her nose in disgust.

"That's the question I have as well," Hawke replied. "But I suppose we won't know until we ask her."

"So we prepare for another trip to the thaig?" Varric asked.

"Yes!" Anders exclaimed, as he hit his fist on the table. "We need to leave as soon as possible!"

"That's what we are here to decide," Hawke replied, ignoring the disappointed look Anders was giving him. "It is sure to be dangerous, and we have fewer fighters than before."

"But it's Cat," Merrill spoke up. "She would go to rescue any of us."

"I'm going," Anders said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Even if I have to go alone."

Hawke looked over at him, and then back to the group. "I asked you all here, because I am going to go back to the Deep Roads," he said calmly. "I won't make anyone go, because we all know what that place is like, and knowing what happened to Carver could very well happen to any one of us."

"Thanks for the warning Hawke," Aveline interrupted. "But all you needed to say was that you need us to come."

"That's just it Aveline," he said with a gentle smile. "I can't do that. All I can say, is that I am going, and if anyone wants to come along, be ready to go in an hour."

Hawke stood up then, noting the pleased expressions on the others' faces. "We don't have much time, and we'll need to move quickly. I'll be at the gate of the city in one hour. If you are coming, I'll see you there. If not, that's totally fine, and I'll see you when I get back."

Hawke stepped out of the room, wanting to give them as much time as he could to come to a decision. He meant what he had said, but he truly hoped that they would all come with him.

* * *

Isabela did a quick shimmy, making sure her girls were on display in the way that would be most appealing. She couldn't say that she was upset at being the distraction yet again, but it would be nice to sometimes be the one to take the bad guys by surprise.

But, for as handsome as her companions were, they simply couldn't do the job. Fenris, while extremely attractive, usually had other men on guard within moments. And Zev was recognizable, and seemed to be feeding off Fenris' vibe the last little while. He was still flirtatious as possible, but when it came time to fighting, he was downright vicious.

She knew it was partly because of what they were fighting against, and partly because he equated the entire business to keeping Cat safe. She could tell that in some way, while he didn't feel he had failed her, he hadn't quite succeeded either.

He asked for details, and while she may have glossed over some of it all, Fenris told him straight out about the danger she had been in, and not just because of the Crows.

Not only that, but Zev had been in a pisser of a mood ever since they had left Kirkwall. He didn't have to admit it, she knew he was jealous that he wasn't her everything anymore, even though he would deny that that was what he wanted.

 _ _Wrapped around her finger indeed,__ she thought, __and Kitty didn't even know it.__

It made Isabela a little nostalgic, remembering how she too had been amused and then infatuated with the girl that seemed so different than any other she had met. Of course, all three of them knew why now, though she was the only one that knew that. The two handsome elves were determined to keep their secrets, not knowing that they actually shared them.

Giving a shrug, she moved her daggers out of their sheaths, and into her bodice, hiding them from view, and making it look like she was unarmed. She moved forward, giving herself a slight limp, and holding onto one arm, as if in pain. She smirked to herself, though not letting it show on her features as she neared the camp. __These men had no idea what was coming for them,__ she thought happily. __Literally.__ She looked behind her shoulder, giving her companions a grin, then turning back with a pained expression.

"Help! I need help, please!" she called, making her voice sound higher and out of breath. "They're after me! Help!"


	94. Chapter 94- Deep Roads Again

Isabela smiled widely. She was meaning to smirk, since that was her go-to, but her lips just weren't listening to her mind. Obviously her mouth just couldn't contain the glee she was feeling at seeing Zevran and Fenris fighting together.

She stood back, though a part of her wanted to join in, but the view was just too spectacular to miss. Her thoughts trailed back to their time traveling to Antiva, and back to the present. The two elves had found their rhythm with each other, and it showed.

Fenris was quick to discover that Zevran would never stop flirting- with him specifically, and in general. And so he did what he did with all things in his life that he didn't quite understand. He either questioned, or ignored it. And after the first few answers he received from Zevran didn't satisfy, he would now ignore it.

Isabela however, knew better. If Fenris didn't like Zevran's flirting, he would have put a stop to it. So while he did nothing to encourage the smaller elf, she was certain he was flattered at the attention.

Now that they seemingly understood each other, they did what Isabela thought of as the go-to for most men… showing off their own prowess. Both elves were determined to end the threat to Cat personally, and so they pushed themselves harder each day to do so.

It had started as an actual competition, to prove that each was the rightful one to take down this threat to their friend. However, as the time went on, and they built a friendship themselves, the battles evolved into a friendly competition between them- each determined to win.

 _ _And yet…__ Isabela grinned as she watched the elves slaughter the Crows around them, __here I am- the one that's reaping the benefits.__

Once there was only a single man left alive, Isabela stepped forward to join the other two in interrogation. Not once had any of the Crows been willing to spill secrets, but the three of them continued to try.

Zevran held the man, as Fenris' tattoos lit, and he reached into the man. The prisoner gasped in pain, but said nothing.

"You may be thinking that we will kill you anyway, so why tell us?" Isabela said as she came closer. "And while that is true, I can only point out that telling us would be a good way to get revenge on the man that placed you here to die in his place."

"You'll get nothing from me," the man wheezed. "You and your dogs can go to hell."

"My dogs?" she questioned even as she laughed. "No, they aren't mine. They let me tag along to watch." She gave the man a wicked smile, and he looked at her uncertainly.

"Now you've gotten him thinking that you get off on death," Zevran said with a smirk to her.

"Who says I don't?" she shot back. "As long as it isn't my own."

"Must you always sidetrack?" Fenris muttered.

"If you can't have fun while you're working, then life isn't worth living," Isabela said sweetly.

"And that would be a shame for the rest of us," Zevran quipped, turning his smile to Fenris, who cleared his throat, and turned back to the captured man with a scowl.

"Five seconds to decide," he said with finality.

"Besides, we already know your base is in the northern district," Zevran added quickly. Seeing the man's eyes light even though he tried to school his expression had the assassin giving him a smile.

"Ah, just as I thought," he said, giving a nod to Fenris, who squeezed his hand into a fist and releasing the dead man to drop to the floor.

"Seems we've narrowed it to the Eastern District," Isabela said thoughtfully. She turned to Zevran, who had pulled out a cloth to clean his daggers. "How big an area are we speaking of?" she asked.

"It is large, but for our purposes we've narrowed it down much more. The Eastern district consists of the nobles' homes, as well as it's own marketplace and school. It is not a place one would expect to find an underbelly," he said, as he wiped the blood from his weapons.

"I see, so there are less places that we will actually have to search," Fenris said as he too cleaned his sword.

"Indeed, my handsome friend," Zevran answered, smiling as Fenris rolled his eyes at the compliment. "And most of those will be ruled out with simply a glance."

Fenris looked confused, so Isabela spoke up. "If it is truly a base for a guild of Crows, they will have guards," she said. "Hidden perhaps, but still guarded." She looked between the other two, the excitement of the hunt showing on her face. "We're getting close," she added with a curve of her lips.

"Good," Fenris replied, as he stood upright and sheathed his sword. He turned to his companions. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way," Zevran said with a sultry smile. "I enjoy following you."

Isabela laughed at Fenris' baffled expression, as he turned away and started out of the building. She turned to her friend. "Just going to wear him down, are you?" she asked.

"If that happens, I will not complain," Zevran replied with a grin as he set off. "His reactions are part of the fun though."

* * *

"Blondie, I know we're doing this for the Little Dove, but a part of me is still wondering why I am in the Deep Roads, again. I swore to myself I never would."

"We are in agreement there Varric," Anders replied weakly. "I absolutely __hate__ the Deep Roads."

"I thought Hawke said it was a job to find a Grey Warden," Merrill spoke up. "And finding Cat was just part of it."

The man and dwarf turned to give skeptical looks to their leader, who had the good sense to at least look embarrassed.

"Well, we each have our own reasons for going on jobs, don't we Daisy?" Varric replied after a few moments. "For some it is helping people, for others it may be making the city a safer place to live, or even the justice of catching a criminal. For me, it is usually the pay," he continued, as Aveline had been nodding along, and now glared down at him.

"Oh I see," Merrill answered. "But… Hawke? Don't you want to get Cat back?" she asked, confused again.

"Of course," Hawke replied smoothly. "She's part of the crew." He ignored the looks he received from not only Anders and Varric, but Aveline and Sebastian that time, and strode forward.

Varric and Anders hung back, even as Sebastian and Merrill kept pace with Hawke.

"I thought he would have let his anger go by now," Aveline said quietly, as the three of them walked together. "He's mentioned a few times now how he's put it behind him."

"It, or her?" Varric asked shrewdly, glancing at Hawke's back.

"It's like he's punishing her, but hurting himself at the same time," Anders said in confusion. "Why do that to himself?"

"Maybe he's afraid it won't be the same?" Varric asked. "That she won't want him?"

"No," Anders said definitively. "She said she loved him, and to her, that means she can't stop. A part of her loves her first husband still, though she won't admit it."

"Back up…" Varric said, looking up at Anders. "She was married?" he asked, trying to hide the eagerness of his voice.

Anders looked down, disappointed that he had let that slip, but knowing he now had to say something. Varric wasn't one to simply let it go.

"Yes, before she came to Ferelden," he replied. "Her husband left her, though she says they were both unhappy for some time before that." He considered, but decided it wouldn't hurt for Varric to understand Cat's point of view. "She didn't trust her own instincts and feelings after that, when it came to relationships."

"That… actually," he paused, and started again with his thought, "a lot of things make perfect sense now," Varric replied. "And why she was so reluctant to __have__ a relationship in the first place."

"Exactly," Anders said quietly, looking over at Aveline, wondering if she had any other additional insights. While she was good friends with Cat, she had consistently kept herself firmly in Hawke's camp when it came to supporting their friend's tumultuous courtship. He thought it was perhaps to offset the fact that he and Fenris were both just as firmly on Cat's side.

"Better to still have something than nothing at all," Aveline murmured, though she didn't elaborate when the other two looked at her.

"Come on, keep up you three!" Hawke called back to them, and they quickened their pace, letting the conversation drop.

* * *

Cat continued to follow the trail. It could have been wishful thinking, but it seemed that the trail was more fresh, and pushed her more quickly onward. She needed to catch up to Nathaniel before any darkspawn found him… or her.

She walked rapidly, knowing it was louder, but also necessary if she was going to find him. Keeping her crossbow in her hands was a precaution that kept her from worrying about herself too badly.

Hearing a noise had her stopping mid-step and focusing on the sounds around her. Cat started moving again at the faint noises, thinking that perhaps it was just shifting rock… __but it could have been footsteps,__ she thought.

Moving more cautiously this time, Cat kept close to the wall of the cavern. As she came toward a small corner, she situated herself , and moved to glance around the rock. After a few short glances, she let her eyes linger longer, taking in the wide expanse of rock. Looking down, she saw the tracks she was following continued, and she moved into the open to view them more carefully.

"Cat?!"

The voice she recognized, but her arms automatically lifted her weapon up at being startled. Seeing Nathaniel move out from behind a large rock formation had her smiling in relief.

"Nate! Finally! I thought I would never catch up to you!" she said, moving forward to him.

She must have only have been thinking of her own relief at finding him, because she didn't see how upset he was until he reached her, and taking her shoulders, gave her a good shake.

"What in blazes are you doing here?!" he demanded.

"What?" she asked, perplexed. "I came to help you," she said slowly, as if he needed her to clarify.

"I left without you for a __reason!"__ he countered. He looked behind her, and grabbed her again as he realized she was alone. "You walked through the Deep Roads ALONE?! ARE YOU MAD?!"

"No," she said, pushing back from him, insulted.

"Without a Grey Warden, you would have no way to avoid the darkspawn!" he growled.

"Why do you think I was trying to catch up to you?!" she replied, her own voice getting louder. "You honestly thought you could just __leave__ me with your sister in Amaranthine? Duran told us to stay __together.__ "

Nathaniel rubbed the bridge of his nose. "These are exceptional circumstances Cat! You would have been safer in Amaranthine!"

"I disagree," she said, giving him a disapproving look. "Why go through all this training if you think I cannot protect myself?" she asked pointedly.

"I know you can protect yourself," he groused. "But you and I could not protect ourselves or each other if the darkspawn swarm us!"

"Let me get this straight," she said as she took the bolt from her crossbow and stored it away. "You think there is a chance that the darkspawn would come upon you, so your absolutely __brilliant__ plan was to come __alone__?"

He glowered at her, but she stood her ground. There was very little he could do about it at this point, unless he was willing to take her back to the surface. After a minute of staring at each other, he sighed, and turned.

"I need to get you out of here," he said quietly. He turned back around, and looked grimly at her. "I want you to promise me," he stated. "Promise that you will follow my orders, even if I tell you to run and leave me behind."

"Of course I won't," she replied, appalled. "I would never be able to live myself if I did something like that."

He seemed unsurprised by her reply, and didn't push it. __I honestly didn't even imagine she would follow me…__ he thought. __She isn't one to go to the Deep Roads, especially with only one person.__ He looked at her in consideration this time. __Perhaps this was part of her knowledge?__ He gathered his pack, and items that he had left on the ground, his mind whirling with the possibilities. "We must leave. The shouting was sure to draw attention."

"Oh," she said, not thinking at the time, and uneasy now. "Let's go."

He led the way, and they walked on in silence.

* * *

Cat wasn't certain how long it had been, whether one hour or two, but she didn't question Nathaniel as to where they were going. She knew he was worried, but had complete faith that they would be able to make it back to the surface. Two people could evade the darkspawn more easily than a group after all.

"Cat?"

She looked up, surprised to hear his voice. "Yes?" she answered, as quietly as he had.

"I need you to tell me what you can of this."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What, the Deep Roads? Or the thaig itself?" she asked.

He glanced over his shoulder for a moment as they walked. "Is this where I died?" he asked. "Or was there a way out that you know?"

"What… what exactly are you saying Nate?" she asked, upset.

"I'm saying that I need to get you out of here, and you obviously know how to make that happen, you wouldn't have followed me otherwise."

"Are you saying I only came after you because I knew what would happen?" she asked, aghast.

"Didn't you?" he countered.

"No, I didn't. Whether you believe it or not, I don't use my so called knowledge to decide my actions. I try to live __without__ using it, in fact."

"That's not what I remember when you told us of the events in Kirkwall," he grumbled.

"Kirkwall is a cesspit of tragedy for Hawke and his friends, so excuse me for trying to make that a little better," she spoke through gritted teeth.

"I'm not complaining," he replied, still not looking back as they spoke. "I'm saying you should do the same here."

"I thought you didn't care about my knowledge," she retorted. "Weren't you the one that said I'd be a pain if I knew everything?"

"Yes," he responded. "But as I said, these are extraordinary circumstances."

She stayed quiet, wondering why she was so unhappy that he asked. He was obviously really worried if he did.

"Cat?" he asked, pressing her.

"I don't know," she replied. "You came here with a group of wardens, and were gone so long that Delilah went to ask the Champion of Kirkwall for help, since he knew where the thaig was. The Champion went back to the thaig and found you fighting darkspawn, and helped you to kill them. He offered to have you come back to the surface with them, but you refused, wanting to find your group that was separated."

Nathaniel was quiet, taking in the information. "That is nothing like this situation."

"I know. Things keep changing. But that also means that perhaps we won't encounter darkspawn at all."

"No," he replied. "That is not likely."

His tone gave her the chills. "Likely? Or not possible?"

He turned to glance back at her again.

"Not possible," he replied, quickening his pace. "We need to find a defensive spot before they are upon us."

"Can you tell how many?" she asked, preparing herself mentally.

"Many," he answered. "If you keep yourself in stealth, they will not be able to sense you, and will come after me. If the fight turns for the worst, I want you to stealth and get away."

She didn't reply, as she had already given her answer previously. But what he said was giving her ideas. If they were focused on him, she could get behind them, and take out any emissaries before they could do damage, and hopefully leave just minions to finish off.

* * *

"Not that way, darkspawn up ahead," Anders warned, and Hawke stopped.

"This is the way to the thaig, Blondie," Varric said quietly.

"I realize that, but I doubt we want to fight them if we can avoid them," Anders replied.

"Won't they have sensed you already as well?" Hawke asked. "If we turn away, will they know that we aren't darkspawn, and come after us?"

"They aren't exactly tacticians," Anders said ruefully. "We should be fine."

"What if it is Cat and Nathaniel?" Merrill asked.

"I can sense more than one," Anders explained. "Delilah said that Nathaniel went alone."

"I'll go look," Sebastian offered, and he started moving forward. Anders wouldn't admit to being jealous at how silent the rogue prince was, but he thought it.

He was back after a minute, and explained what he saw. "There is a small group of darkspawn, and it looks like they are searching the room for something," he said. "It may be they are not sensing Anders because they are focused on something else."

"Like I said, not smart," Anders said. "If we can get them unawares, we can get them all before they can fight. It may be worth it, rather than finding another path."

"All right, let's go, but quietly. I want to get into position so that we can all attack at the same time," Hawke murmured. The others nodded at him, and followed Sebastian down the corridor.

He had been right, there was a small amount of darkspawn- relatively anyway. Only about twenty or so, but nothing that their group couldn't handle, especially since there didn't seem to be anything besides hurlocks.

They moved silently until they were all in view, and could attack. Aveline adjusted herself to the front of the group, and Hawke was ready to signal the attack when Varric got his attention, pointing to the ground.

Looking ahead, Hawke could see several bodies of darkspawn on the ground, dead. The thing that had him pausing, was that the bodies didn't look like hurlocks.

 _"_ _ _They're attacking something,"__ Anders whispered in his ear, and Hawke looked closer, seeing that while a few hurlocks were looking around themselves, the main part of the group were firing arrows or moving closer to the far side of the cavern.

The crew stilled as an arrow came from somewhere they couldn't see, and struck a hurlock in the face, felling it instantly. A horrific scream sounded from the other side of the group as another hurlock fell.

The attack was swift, and seemingly random, that Hawke worried about his people getting caught in the crossfire, or even hurting the unseen fighters with their spells.

"Can you sense them? Hawke leaned over and asked Anders quietly. "Are they wardens?"

"It's hard to differentiate," Anders said, as he focused. "I'm just sensing the taint. I'm not used to trying to separate the feeling between darkspawn and wardens."

"All right," Hawke replied. He put his hand out to have his team continue to hold, but stay ready. Once they knew what the situation was, they could join in.

"More," Anders said, and Hawke looked around, sensing something, but his eyes weren't able to pinpoint it.

He kept looking however, hearing noises, and wondering what it was. Something he would have called a shadow suddenly disappeared, and two shrieks began slashing at the air. He began to think Anders gave them too much credit when he said they were not smart, when another shadow dissipated, and he saw an armored rouge fighting them off with daggers.

He could tell it was a woman, as the armor was skin tight, and covered her skin from neck to toe, in the blue and silver colors the wardens were so fond of.

"Look at her go," he heard Varric say quietly. "I can't get a shot off."

Hawke nodded as he watched, the woman and the darkspawn were moving too quickly for them to be of any help to her at this point. Her daggers were flying, blocking the clawed strikes from the shrieks.

After blocking, she would move, sliding around on the ground, rolling away or back towards them, and even stepping twice up the wall of the cavern to flip over one, grabbing it's skin with her dagger behind herself as she landed.

The crew were mesmerized as they watched, impressed by the warden's skill.

Hawke was surprised at movement near him, and Aveline stepped out to slice a hurlock that had spotted them and come after them with its sword raised.

"Do you hear that?" Hawke heard from Merrill, and he looked to her.

"What?"

"It sounds big," she replied nervously.

That was the only warning they all had, as the archway the hurlocks had used to enter the room crashed to pieces- a huge, horned ogre smashing its way into the room with a roar.

Hawke glanced back at the warden, seeing the shrieks on the ground, and seeing her focus on the beast in front of her. He could see her chest moving as she panted to get her breath back.

"NO! CAT, RUN!"

Hawke and his crew heard the voice echo around the cavern, and turned almost as one to the rogue, seeing her now in a terrible new light, as they realized who she was.

Again, and almost as one, they surged forward, joining the fray. They shouted, gaining attention from the few hurlocks that remained, but were unable to get the ogre to turn.

Hawke watched as it roared and moved toward her, and his attention was taken as a hurlock reached him. He pulled his staff up to block its attack, and used a telekinetic burst to send it flying away, followed by an arcane bolt, and some lightning for good measure. It stayed still on the ground, so he looked around to find the ogre.

"The ogre! As soon as you can!" he yelled to the others, aiming for its eyes. A blind ogre would do serious damage, but at least it wouldn't be able to target anyone specifically. After a moment, he decided the wiser course would be to slow it down.

 _ _A little more mana…__ he thought, readying his force spell. __Just a few more seconds…__

The ogre swung out moments before Hawke released his spell. And he watched in dismay as its hand connected with the armored body. He didn't watch as his spell hit the ogre, instead watching as the woman soared through the room, hitting the wall with a loud crash, and falling to the ground.

He started to move, hearing her name being screamed, and unsure if it was his own voice or anothers'. __Could another voice convey the wrenching pain that I am feeling?__

"Hawke! The ogre!"

He turned, seeing his crew running to the ogre that was moving so slow it almost seemed stationary. He turned back to the woman, seeing a dark haired warden holding her torso in his arms, checking her over.

"Anders!" the hoarse voice called, and Hawke could see the indecision on his friend's face.

"Go," he said, giving Anders a push. "We've got this!"

Anders didn't hesitate longer, running for the wardens, and Hawke turned to the ogre. He suddenly had a rage burning within him that he needed to purge.

* * *

Anders worked frantically, trying to repair the damage inside Cat's slim frame before it was too late. He trusted his friends, and gave not another thought to the darkspawn and ogre that were still alive. They had their job, and he had his.

Nathaniel continued to hold onto Cat, worried that if he let her go she would slip away. He could hear the sound her body had made as it crashed, and the sound repeated again and again in his mind. He focused in turn on both Cat and Anders, praying silently that his healing would be enough. __It always had been before…__

He heard and felt as the darkspawn were killed, now only able to sense the taint in the man working furiously beside him.

"What can I do?"

Nathaniel and Anders looked up, seeing Hawke kneeling beside them, down by Cat's feet.

Anders looked to be wrestling with something before he finally answered.

"Just… stay here, and help keep me grounded. I'm going to use spirit healing," he said.

"Wait, since when are you able…" Nathaniel stopped himself. "Of course, Justice," he answered before Anders could. He looked up at the blonde mage. "Is that truly necessary?"

"I know what you're thinking, Nathaniel, but this is what needs to be done," Anders replied firmly. "She had several broken bones, including her spine, and a few of her organs took damage as well." Anders looked down at his friend as he spoke. "This is what must be done."

"We'll give you our mana," Merrill said, as she stepped closer. "You shouldn't do this alone."

"Agreed," Hawke said.

"Very well," Anders said with a small smile. "Nathaniel," he said, turning to the warden. "Lie her down now, and move back. We'll need to make a circle first."

Nathaniel did as he was told, knowing that Anders was always deadly serious about healing. He didn't go far, needing to make sure that he would watch over Cat, as he had mistakenly failed to do before.

He was taken aback by the feeling of power as the mages combined their power together, and let the healer use it. He felt a jolt as he saw the blue lines on his former companion's face, the unearthly pools of glimmering blue that were now his eyes, and the deep voice that reminded him of another companion from his past.

Nathaniel had been holding on to his anger, upset that the man that he had trusted, and finally accepted- though he could be such an annoyance- had run off, betrayed all that he had sworn. When Nathaniel had seen Anders again, he had seen a run down and weary version of the man he had known, and had felt somewhat vindicated- that Anders had gotten what he deserved.

He watched the same man now, as he surrendered his own will to that of the spirit that was inside him, and felt that he may never truly understand the man.

Long before, when they had traveled together, Anders had told them of spirit healers, and what that meant. The were few and far between, not only because of how difficult it was to find mages that truly embodied the characteristics that spirits would seek out, but also because of the inherent dangers it posed to the mages, by having a limited access to a higher form of power.

 _ _And here was Anders__ , Nathaniel thought, __not simply touched by a spirit, but possessed by one. There were so many unknowns… so many risks… to both of them.__ Nathaniel glanced back and forth, and continued to pray, not only for Cat, but for Anders as well.

* * *

Varric watched the scene before him with a cynic's eye. He didn't doubt that the Little Dove would be fine, Blondie was the best healer he'd ever heard of. But, he knew there were some things that you couldn't come back from, and the smash of the Little Dove's body against the rock face was something he wouldn't soon forget.

Varric looked to Hawke, still uncertain of what his friend wanted. He was certain the two of them belonged together, and he would do anything to make that happen, but he would only push so far. If Hawke was determined to be alone, who was he to say differently? He wasn't exactly what his friends would call successful with relationships, even if they had known about his past.

But Hawke? Hawke wasn't like he was, Varric was certain. Hawke needed family, a life beyond all the fighting and intrigue and politics. He'd drive himself mad otherwise. Hadn't they all seen that happen before their very eyes over the past year?

His eyes moved to the warden, Nathaniel. On his face was the expression Varric would hope to see on Hawke's. The idea gave him a bad taste in his mouth, and he suddenly wanted a drink. If the Little Dove wanted the warden, well… Varric could play nice, he supposed.

But he would do his damnedest change her mind first.

 _ _Looks like I'll need to have a talk with Blondie before long,__ he thought.


	95. Chapter 95- Conundrum

**A/N:** I am sorry for last week, and while I don't have a second chapter ready to give you all a double, I did make this one extra long to help. It's been a bit of writer's block, so there wasn't much I could do, but I think I am back on a roll now.

* * *

The group was crowded around, looking down at the two of them, hoping for their eyes to open, but both were sleeping so peacefully that they could have been dead if not for the movement of their chests as they breathed.

Knowing that crowding them wouldn't help, but not willing to back away, Hawke stayed where he was- sitting next to Anders. He also felt he couldn't ask the others to do something he wouldn't, so they all continued their silent vigil, crowded near their friends.

"Are we safe here Warden, or do we need to move?" Sebastian asked Nathaniel quietly.

Nathaniel looked around the room, as if seeing through the walls themselves, trying to sense any approaching danger.

"I don't feel any tainted creature nearby, so we are fine for now," he answered. "I will let you know if that changes."

Feeling relief, Aveline, Sebastian, Varric and Merrill followed Hawke's example and sat, though they only moved back slightly in order to keep an eye on Anders and Cat as they lay in front of them.

"They're going to be all right, aren't they Hawke?" Varric asked.

"The healing went well," Hawke answered. "But the damage was extensive. "I don't know what would have happened if Anders hadn't been here."

"Then I owe you all more than I can say," Nathaniel added quietly, as he picked up Cat's hand and held it in his own, causing a few narrowed eyes.

"What were the two of you thinking, coming into the Deep Roads alone?" Hawke asked him, trying to keep calm. "Even being able to sense the darkspawn, it was foolhardy."

"I was doing just fine," Nathaniel argued. "Until Cat caught up with me." He looked back down at her still form. "I was furious that she followed me… I didn't think she would be able to."

He looked back up to Hawke, his expression guilty. "We argued… loudly. I am fairly certain that was what brought the darkspawn to us."

"I can hardly blame you, as I have been there with her before," Hawke replied.

Varric glanced over in surprise, his eyebrows raising as he took in Hawke's clenched fists.

"You don't need to blame me, I blame myself," Nathaniel continued, his gaze not moving from Cat. "I never should have taken her to Amaranthine with me."

"Why did you?" Varric asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "I thought she was keeping herself hidden?"

"Yes, she was," he replied. "But we had no attacks since she had gotten there, and felt safe since we were traveling alone. I wanted her to meet my family," he added quietly.

Anders opened his eyes at that moment, and all other thoughts of comments he might have made left Hawke as he turned to his friend.

"Anders?" he asked gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak," came the reply, though he smiled.

"You performed a miracle," Nathaniel said, as he looked at his one time friend. "I don't know if I can ever thank you enough."

Anders' head turned to face the other warden, and he smirked. "I guess that makes us even now," he said. It took Nathaniel a moment, but he remembered the note he wrote after he had taken Carver Hawke into the order, about how Anders owed him one.

"I suppose it does," Nathaniel said, the corner of his lips moving up slightly, and he turned back to Cat.

"Oh," Anders groaned as he began to move. "Give me a hand, will you?" he asked Hawke, who reached out to help him sit up. "That isn't something I hope to do very often," Anders said as he moved his neck to get rid of the stiffness.

"I surely hope you never have to again," Hawke replied. "You need more rest," he said, as Anders stretched.

"I feel pretty good," Anders replied. "Just drained from using too much power all at once."

Hawke stood and helped him to stand, and Anders walked around in small circles, getting the feeling back into his muscles. "Whoa, that really took a lot out of me," he said to himself as he did.

"We thought you had killed yourself at first," Merrill said, concerned. "We were very worried."

"Thank you," Anders replied, "but I knew what I was doing."

"You were able to push past your natural limit," Hawke said, giving him a baleful look, and Anders looked chagrined.

"Yes, well, I have experimented with that for a number of years. Magebane is used to keep mages in line when they are imprisoned, and I was constantly looking for a way to use my power in spite of that."

Hawke's eyebrow rose, but he didn't continue the conversation. It would take too long to explain to those that weren't mages, and truly, they didn't really need to know what Anders was capable of. Though he was glad that he knew now.

Anders and Nathaniel's heads moved in synchronization, causing the others to freeze, and go silent.

"We should move," Anders said quietly.

"Now," Nathaniel added.

Giving a nod, Hawke helped his crew up, and they moved as quietly as possible as they loaded their packs and weapons. Hawke turned back to Anders, seeing he was having a whispered argument with Nathaniel, and moved closer.

 _"_ _ _Of course I am coming, I can't take the chance that we are surrounded again,"__ Nathaniel hissed.

 _"_ _ _You can't come back to Kirkwall, the point was to stay away until the threat was taken care of!"__ Anders said, his look saying what a foolish idea it was.

 _"_ _ _I'll follow you if I have to, she would have died without you!"__ Nathaniel retorted. _"_ _ _It's been over a year, have the Crows even been seen in Kirkwall?"__

Anders looked to Hawke as he came forward, then responded to the other warden. _"_ _ _Maybe you should just leave Cat with us, and lead the darkspawn away,"__ he offered as a plan.

 _"_ _ _Who in their right mind would leave someone they care about when they are in danger?"__ Nathaniel shot back, bending down and picking up Cat. _"_ _ _Now, I can understand your concern, so once we reach the surface, I will take Cat back to Ferelden by boat instead of through the tunnels, but for now, we are coming with you."__

Hawke said nothing, Nathaniel's words striking a little to close to heart for comfort. He gave a brief nod, and turned, pulling Anders along by his sleeve to get him to lead the group. They would need his warden ability to sense the darkspawn in order to escape without a fight.

Anders didn't like it, but he followed Hawke's lead. He didn't sense many darkspawn, and could easily get his group away. Then, he'd follow Hawke's lead again, and if that meant taking Cat from Nathaniel, so be it.

* * *

Cat opened her eyes slowly, unsure of where she was, or even how long she had been asleep. It was as if her senses had reset, and were slowly coming back to her one by one. Sounds and sights went from fuzzy to clear, but it took a few minutes.

"Little Dove?"

Cat heard the voice, but didn't turn, as she didn't quite connect with it yet. Her eyes were looking up at a lowly lit cavern, that looked as if it were dwarven, and she felt confused. Last she remembered, she was fighting darkspawn. __How am I just laying here? And where is here?__ she thought.

"Cat?"

This time, she blinked a few times at hearing a voice, but didn't need to turn her head, as a familiar face was looking down at her. She was sure her features must have conveyed the confusion she felt. __Am I dreaming?__ she thought.

"No, it's really me," Anders said to her, and Cat realized she must have spoken her thoughts out loud.

"He means, it's us!" Merrill said happily as her face came into Cat's view.

"I'm here too, Little Dove," Varric added from beside Merrill.

"Where…?" Cat asked, as she began to move.

"Here, let me help you," Anders offered, and put his arm behind her to help her into a sitting position. "Long story short, Delilah Howe came and found Hawke, and asked us to go help you and Nathaniel. We got there just in time for you to take a beating from an ogre, and you had to do some major healing."

"That.. why I feel… off?" she asked, bringing her hand up to hold her head as it swam.

"Yeah," he answered. "You've been sleeping for several days."

"Nate okay?" she asked, as she concentrated on getting her bearings.

"Yes, he was fine, last I saw of him," he answered grumpily, and Cat looked over to him in question.

Anders, seeing the look gave a sigh. "Apparently he came here because some dwarves decided to try to follow our expedition, and were lost. Their father asked Nathaniel for help. He and Hawke wanted to rescue them if they could, since they were already down here."

"Hawke?" she asked, giving a smile, even as she felt nervous.

"He took Aveline and Choir Boy, and went with Nathaniel," Varric spoke up in answer. "We've been taking you back up to the surface where we'll wait for them."

"Oh… okay."

She could see that the three of them were looking at her in concern, so she gave another small smile. "I'll be all right," she said, "just feeling… strange."

"Strange how?" Anders asked, thought he just started checking her himself.

"Uh, like I've slept too long?" she answered, and he glanced at her, before going back to his task.

"Like I said, it was __major__ healing, Cat. As in organ repair, and broken bones," he said in a professional and clipped manner. "I don't want to worry you, but you won't be able to jump back quickly from this. You still need recovery time, and I am not sure how much."

"Okay, I get it," she said. "And I know you're right, because I feel like I have already used up all my energy just sitting here." She was concerned, because Anders wouldn't lie about healing time. If he said she needed more, then she did.

"So I take it the ogre won then?" she asked, even as she settled herself back into a laying position. "I don't remember actually fighting it."

"It barged in as you were dealing with those shrieks," Varric answered.

"Those I remember," she said.

"Your skills have grown," Anders spoke up, even as he finished his cursory examination. "All of us just stood there watching you fight them. You were incredible."

Cat flushed slightly in pleasure. "Thanks, that's so sweet. I haven't been idle while with the wardens, that's for sure."

"Speaking of the wardens," Varric began, only to have Anders shake his head at him. He looked at the healer, who gave a pointed look at Cat. Varric looked back at her, noting that her eyes were heavy, and her lids would flutter as she tried to keep herself awake.

"We'll talk later," Varric amended. "For now, you need to rest."

"No, I'm … fine…" Cat argued, though she couldn't keep herself from falling back into a healing sleep.

"Next time she wakes, we need to get some food into her," Anders told his companions. "Her body needs all the help it can get to heal quickly."

"Well, I have to admit," Varric said, as he sat back against a rock. "I was picturing something a bit more romantic for Hawke and the Little Dove's reunion."

"I think we all were," Anders replied.

Merrill smiled, even as she folded up some clothing to make a pillow for Cat's head. She moved over to place it underneath her. "Hawke just seems so angry about it all still," she commented. "Oh!"

The other two looked at her concern, but calmed as Merrill simply lifted a chunk of Cat's hair. "I know Isabela told me she cut her hair to disguise herself, but I didn't realize it would be this short," she said sadly. "It's almost as short as my own."

"It's hair, Daisy," Varric replied kindly. "It will grow again."

"I know Varric," she answered, raking her fingers through her friend's cropped hair. "It's just that she would let me brush it and play with it sometimes." She looked down again as her fingers moved through the short tresses. "It's not the same now."

"No, it's not the same," he answered, his voice going quiet.

* * *

Weapons ready, and standing in front of their sleeping friend, Anders, Varric, and Merrill were ready to fight. Seeing Aveline and Hawke come into the hall, however, had them all lowering their weapons with a sigh of relief.

They watched as Sebastian and a couple of dwarves followed by Nathaniel came in after them.

"Glad you found us," Varric said with a smirk.

"You did a good job at leaving a visible trail," Hawke replied in kind. "Sebastian only had to take over once or twice to make sure we stayed on the right track."

"Nathaniel was sure that you were here as well," Sebastian added.

"How is she?" Nathaniel asked as he moved over to Cat, who was still sleeping.

"Good," Anders replied, though he looked to Hawke as he reported. "She's woken a couple of times, and we've been plying her with water and food when we can. She doesn't remember fighting the ogre, but can recall everything before that."

"Well, I wouldn't call getting thrown into a wall a fight, exactly," Hawke retorted, but he put his hand on Anders' shoulder and gave him a nod. "Good work," he added.

Anders nodded in reply, and turned back to the group. "She doesn't stay awake long, she's still recuperating from the injuries and the healing, however, she can be moved without worry."

"So we can go home?" Aveline asked, and Anders gave her a nod.

"We'll have to keep carrying her, but yes."

"Thank the Maker," Nathaniel murmured.

"Well then, I think we're all ready to get out of these caves," Hawke said. "Anders, Nathaniel? I'd like one of you in front and the other in the back of the group. Seb? Can you take Cat first?"

"Of course, Hawke."

"How regularly has she been waking?" Hawke asked Anders.

"Every few hours," came the reply.

"Okay, then we'll rest during that time," Hawke decided. "Let's get moving."

Nathaniel nor the dwarves offered any resistance to Hawke's leadership, and the group grabbed their packs and weapons, and their unconscious friend, and started for the surface.

* * *

"This tunnel will lead you out," Nathaniel said to the older brother. "At any forks, always take the largest tunnel, and you will reach the surface in two days. If you stay quiet, you shouldn't run into any darkspawn."

"Very well," the dwarf replied. "Thank you again for your assistance. Our family is in your debt."

"Just spread the word that the thaig has nothing to offer, and that will be thanks enough," Nathaniel retorted stoically. "There may not be any wardens or champions next time to help."

The dwarves nodded to the warden, thinking as they left that he needed to smile more. But in a profession such as his, there was probably no cause for it. Death and darkspawn, and battle were all they could tell that he lived with, and as they left the larger group, both dwarves were glad that they were able to go back to their family and their lives.

"Are you sure sending them off alone was wise?" Anders asked Nathaniel.

"Unless you wanted them following us all the way to Kirkwall?" Nathaniel replied dryly.

"No, but it seems odd to save them, only to send them off into dangers unknown."

"They can handle themselves," Hawke interrupted. "They were holding their own when we found them."

"Very well," Anders responded.

Nathaniel glanced over, surprised that Anders simply accepted the statement from Hawke, when if it had been himself, the mage would likely have continued to argue.

Varric watched the interaction, and looked back down at the Little Dove. She had woken up not long before, and they had both been listening to those around them. The others hadn't even realized that she was awake, and neither of them were calling attention to the fact, just letting them go about their business.

 _"_ _ _Varric…"__ she whispered, and he moved in closer to hear her. " _ _Is he done with me?"__

Varric eased back, his face near hers even as he gave a slight shake of his head. _"_ _ _He isn't sure what he is, but I don't think that's it. But you hurt him Little Dove."__

Cat could feel her heart sink, though she had known. She had woken up twice before, and Hawke had just happened to be scouting ahead, or speaking with Anders privately. But, she didn't want to assume, and had to be sure.

She knew she had hurt him, hadn't she been the one who was so worried about him leaving once Meredith was defeated? She knew it would hurt her, and tried to thwart it at every turn, yet she had left without even speaking to him.

She knew she couldn't have done differently, there was too much at stake, and she couldn't risk him or his crew, they were too important- not only to Kirkwall, but to Thedas. She couldn't even begin to imagine what repercussions would befall if one of them were to die before their time.

But… that didn't change the fact that she had left for over a year. And Garrett Hawke wouldn't see it just as leaving him, but abandoning the crew. In fact, Cat had the feeling that he would be more upset about that part, then he would about anything personal.

The thought came now, of how she was stronger, and when it came time for Garrett to leave, she would be able to handle it. After all, she wasn't alone. She had friends, family… people to rely on.

And if and when Hawke needed to leave, to ensure his friends were kept safe… well. She'd be the one waiting that time.

Now, she hoped that he would not only listen long enough for her to share her new found knowledge, but feel the same.

"The Little Dove's awake," Varric announced, giving her a smirk as she shook herself from her thoughts, watching in trepidation as the man she loved turned to look at her.

Cat smiled nervously, even as Hawke gave her a nod and a small smile in return. Then her attention was grabbed by Nathaniel kneeling in front of her, grabbing her hand.

"Cat? Are you all right?" he asked in concern.

"I've told you countless times that she will be fine," Anders muttered crossly.

"I'm doing much better Nate," she replied, looking over his shoulder to see Hawke looking awkwardly anywhere else but at her. Her face fell as he turned and moved away from the group.

"You should eat something, and drink some more water," Merrill said happily as she moved toward her friend.

"All right," Cat agreed, hiding her disappointment as best as she could. Nathaniel scooted back as Merrill and Aveline both moved in to look her over.

"I'll help keep watch," Nathaniel said with a smile to Cat. "Don't overtax yourself," he told her, and she gave him a smile and a nod. She waited until he had pulled Anders away before she let her face fall again.

 _ _Not exactly what I was hoping for,__ she thought dejectedly.

* * *

"She doesn't seem to be herself," Nathaniel muttered to Anders, looking back to see her looking like she was in pain.

Anders gave him a dry look. "Again, she __will__ be fine. But that takes time. Her body is healing from a traumatic experience. She's getting the rest and nutrients needed to heal, which is what she needs right now."

Nathaniel looked to her again, and back to face the healer. "She may not be saying it, but she is definitely in pain," he argued.

Anders looked over Nathaniel's shoulder, seeing Cat's gaze where Hawke had been, and understanding. "Not all pain is physical," he murmured, then cleared his throat and looked back to the warden. "You seem more concerned than I would have thought," he said speculatively.

Nathaniel glowered. "I can be as concerned as anyone when it is someone I care about," he replied pointedly.

"That's the second time you've mentioned caring for her," Anders said. "I'm curious what you mean by that."

"Exactly as I said. Now if you'll excuse me, I said I would be on watch."

Anders watched as Nathaniel stormed off, wondering what Cat had been up to during her time with the wardens. He smiled as he remembered how often Cat would unknowingly find herself with would-be suitors, and thought this may be another case. He turned in the opposite direction as Nathaniel, and began walking the perimeter of the make shift camp, hoping to come across Hawke on the way.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Merrill asked Cat as she handed over a water skin.

Cat took a few swallows of the water, and returned the water skin. "Much better," Cat answered. "I can sit up on my own, and I don't feel the need to fall back asleep right away."

"That sounds like a good sign," Aveline replied, as she pulled out a piece of bread and handed it to Cat.

Cat wanted to rap the bread on a rock to prove how hard it was, but resisted the urge. Using both hands, she was able to break off a small piece and put it in her mouth. She let it sit there to soften, not wanting to crack her teeth on it.

"Thanks," she replied.

Aveline glanced around, and spoke quietly. "I'm glad that you're back," she said, giving Cat a smile. "It hasn't been the same without you."

"I've missed you all so much," Cat replied just as softly.

"But you were with your friends," Merrill said in confusion.

Cat smiled at her. "And while it was wonderful to spend time with them, they aren't you," she replied. "Though Alistair is almost as happy as you are Merrill, he's much more sarcastic."

Merrill grinned. "I'm glad you had someone to help you stay happy, Cat."

Cat smiled even as she shook her head. "No one is a substitute for my friends here though."

"Speaking of…" Aveline spoke up, and Cat turned to her with a questioning look. "I figured I would give you a heads up. Your friend, the Crow…"

"My friend?" Cat asked, confused. "Wait, you mean Zevran?" she asked in surprise. "A blond elf?"

"That's the one," Varric interrupted, proving he had been listening the entire time, and sporting a frown which had Cat confused again.

"What about him?" she asked.

"He came to Kirkwall, looking for you," Aveline said, keeping her voice quiet. "We thought he was one of the Crows sent for you."

"And?" Cat said, even as she grinned.

"You're not concerned we killed him?" Varric asked, and Cat rolled her eyes.

"Zev has lived through worse, and I'm assuming he recognized Issy, or vice versa."

He nodded. "The latter," he replied. "Rivaini stopped mid attack, and put her daggers away, which had us all pausing, and we found out who he was, and he explained that he was the reason the Crows were after you."

"You are leaving out the threats and posturing from all the men," Aveline added dryly.

"I would have loved to have seen that," Cat said with a grin.

"Yeah well," Varric continued. "Your buddy told us how he was looking for the Crows responsible, and how he was going to take them out, but he wanted to make sure you were all right first."

"Aww…" Cat said with a dopey smile.

"I'm confused Cat," Merrill spoke again. "You're smiling, but you look sad."

"I'm both, Merrill," Cat replied. "I'm so happy that he cares so much to track me down and check on me, but I'm sad that I missed seeing him. I haven't seen or heard from Zev since he put me on Isabela's ship in Ferelden to escape the blight."

"Oh, no wonder then," Merrill answered.

"That's not all," Aveline said, getting back on topic. "He deduced that Leliana took you to the wardens, and felt that you were safe enough." She returned the grin that Cat was sporting. "But then Fenris announced that he would be going with him."

Cat's grin died as she looked at her friends in shock. "Say again?" she asked.

"Broody went with the Crow," Varric repeated for her. "He wanted to help get you back sooner. And that's when Rivaini announced she would be going with them."

The first had been shocking, the second announcement had Cat gaping. "They… both of them… went with Zev?!" she demanded.

"Yes," Aveline answered, glad that she had decided to say something now.

"This is incredible…" Cat muttered, rubbing her forehead.

"Little Dove? You okay?" Varric asked.

"They are with Zev…" she repeated. "That's… not right," she muttered, and her friends looked at her in confusion.

"Why is that?" Varric asked. "I would think with the three of them, they'll probably have killed the bastard who started this by now."

"Everything is changing…" Cat murmured, then looking up and seeing the three of them looking at her in confusion and concern, she shook the thoughts away. "Sorry," she said to them. "It's just not something that I ever thought would happen. Zev tends to work alone."

"He did say that, trying to talk them out of it, if that helps," Aveline said. "But they were both quite insistent."

"And how did Hawke react to this?" she asked as the thought came to her.

"Not very well, but Fenris did ask permission first," Varric answered. "Unlike someone else we know."

The conversation turned in those simple words, and Cat forgot all about Zev and the changes that were being brought about as she turned to where she had last seen Hawke, her thoughts on him.

"Would that have helped?" she asked.

The other three were quiet, not having a good answer.

"I guess the real question, is what I do now," Cat continued. "He barely glanced at me, and I wanted to run to him."

The quiet was starting to get to her, and Cat was ready to change the subject when Aveline started speaking.

"Look Cat, I won't go into all we went through while you were gone, but it hasn't been easy… for any of us, but mostly for Hawke. There have been a lot of problems that he has had to deal with, and mostly on his own."

Cat looked at her, her stomach sinking as she listened.

"We all had things happening, and there was a time when the crew was broken. Whether it was true or not, some blamed themselves for the problems, and it took some time to fix. Many of us were angry, not just at the situation but at you- for leaving without even talking to us."

"I'm so sorry-"

"I'm not asking for an apology," Aveline cut her off. "I'm just trying to get you to understand how things were here. Hawke wasn't the only one that had to put himself back together during the past year."

"Okay," Cat said with a nod, though inside she wanted to cry.

"I guess what I'm saying is… all of us have had to change, and you can't just have what you did before you left."

"We can't tell you what Hawke wants," Varric continued, "because he doesn't know that himself. But I can tell you that he's trying to figure that out."

"So I need to give him some space to do that," Cat said, her eyes downcast.

"That would be best," Aveline said gently. "For both of you."

"I'm sure he'll come to his senses soon," Merrill said with an encouraging smile.

"It's nothing he wouldn't or hasn't done for me," Cat replied with smile. "We made sure we were friends before, and I can be that again."

Aveline and Varric both sighed in relief. "Thank you Cat," Aveline said, feeling a weight leave her shoulders. "I should have known that you would understand."

"Well the Little Dove is the best," Varric said with a wink. "How would you feel about trying to stand for a bit?" he asked her.

"I would love that," Cat answered. "I don't want to be carried anymore."

"You were asleep, so how could it bother you?" Aveline asked with a grin, as she stood and held out a hand to help Cat up.

"I can feel it, like an itch between my shoulder blades," Cat replied, and the others chuckled.

"Cat," Anders said as he came hurrying back to them. "How are you doing?" he asked with a smile, seeing her standing, albeit wobbly.

"Pretty good," she replied. "Done sleeping for now, I think."

"That's a good sign," Anders said. "Can you walk around at all?"

"I'm definitely ready to," she answered, taking a few steps towards him. She grabbed the others' shoulders as she passed, both as support and also to give them a squeeze. As she reached Anders, she threw her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. _"_ _ _Thank you… for saving me,"__ she whispered to him.

 _"_ _ _As if I could do anything else,"__ he replied in her ear, squeezing her tightly. _"_ _ _Please don't scare us like that again."__

She pulled back with a nod, and stepped away from him, walking in slow paces around the cavern they were in, and looking around. "It seems we are almost back to the surface," she commented.

"Almost there," Hawke answered as he came back in. He was glad to see her on her feet. Seeing her laying asleep for days on end had his anxiety levels constantly on edge. "You look like you're feeling better," he said as he moved into the area.

"I am," Cat replied, and went with her gut, stepping to him and giving him a hug, similar to one she would give any friend. "Thank you so much, for coming to save us," she said.

"My pleasure," he answered, melting slightly and hugging her in return.

 _"_ _ _I love you Garrett,"__ she whispered, feeling him stiffen in shock. _"_ _ _And I'm sorry I hurt you. Take whatever time you need, I'll be here."__

 _"_ _ _Uh… Cat…"__ he had released her, but was trying to reply, though unsuccessfully. She stepped back, giving his arm a pat.

"It's okay," she said quietly, then turned and started walking slowly in a circle again. "I don't know how far I'll make it on my own, but I definitely want to walk as much as I can."

Hawke got his composure as she spoke, grateful that she was giving him time to do so. "That's fine," he replied normally, the group coming closer to hear him. "But you need to say something when you can't. If you fall over from exhaustion, then I won't take your word for it again."

"Deal," she said, turning with a smile.

"Cat!"

She turned as Nathaniel hurried up to her, giving her a hard hug. "I'm so sorry," he said as he held her. "This was all my fault."

"I believe I am responsible for my own actions," she replied dryly.

"Of course, but I should have known you would follow me," he said, as he stepped back and held her at arm's length.

"We're ready to continue Nathaniel," Hawke said, and the warden looked to him and nodded. "Do you want the front or the rear?" he asked.

"I'd like to walk with Cat," Nathaniel answered, looking to her in question. "Which would you prefer?" he asked her.

"Take the front then," Hawke answered before she could. "That way we will see her when she collapses."

Cat gave him a baleful look. "I said I would tell you before that happens."

"Knowing you, you'll say something as you fall," he retorted.

"He does have a point," Nathaniel commented.

"You shut up," Cat muttered, even as she walked with him to the front of the group. "Varric?" she asked. "Will you walk with me? I want to hear the story about Zev paying you a visit."

"Very well Little Dove," Varric replied, moving with her. "But then you have to tell me what you've been up to with the wardens."

"Of course," she answered. "But Nate here might stop me at the good parts," she said with a grin. "The wardens don't like to share."

"No revealing warden secrets today," Nathaniel added with a smirk.

The others moved along, Sebastian and Anders hanging back to walk with Hawke, neither saying anything, but he felt their support all the same.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Hawke asked while frowning.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Cat replied. "Fenris is gone, and we have plenty of rooms. Though I wonder how much I'll need to clean up first," she mused.

"Merrill and Anders have been taking turns staying there to keep it ready for you," Hawke said, and Cat turned to him with a smile.

"That was so thoughtful! I'll be sure to think of a way to thank them," she exclaimed.

"It turned out to be good for them as well, keeping them out of staying in one place too long," he replied.

Cat's eyes narrowed. "It's gotten worse?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Meredith is seeing blood mages everywhere," he replied. "Mages aren't safe anywhere, but places like Darktown and the Alienage are even worse, because of how desperate people there can be."

As the group moved through the city towards Hightown, Anders had pulled Nathaniel back to have a conversation of their own.

"Look, I know you may not think of me as a friend, but-" Anders started.

"Of course I do." Anders looked at Nathaniel, gobsmacked, and the warden smirked. "I was angry Anders, I felt betrayed. You couldn't have hurt me like that if you weren't a friend."

"I … see. Well, I don't know that I've ever apologized, so I will now. I am sorry that I hurt you."

"Thank you, though I can understand a little better now, and am no longer angry. However you know as well as I that you __are__ a warden. Whether you act like one or not."

Anders smiled sadly. "Believe me, I know."

"Good."

"AS a friend though, I feel I need to explain a little about Cat…" Anders began. "It can be easy to feel close to her, and she has a way of making a man feel like she is, uh… encouraging his attentions…"

"Oh really?" Nathaniel gave him a sarcastic smile, enjoying his discomfort.

"Look," Anders said more firmly, "I don't know how much you know about her-"

"Everything."

"What?" Anders stopped at the interruption.

"I know everything," Nathaniel repeated. "And I am aware that she has told both you and the warrior elf, as well as the pirate to an extent. We have spoken about it several times, and she sought advice from the commander on several issues."

"She told you and the commander what she knows?" Anders asked darkly.

"Not in so many words, just asking for opinions for things that involve the wardens," Nathaniel said with a nod. "And Alistair was involved as well." He looked sideways at the mage as they followed the group through the streets. "She did mention something about not sharing everything, just enough to get an opinion."

"That's not the point," Anders said, though he noted to himself that he would be having a personal conversation with Cat very soon.

"What IS the point?" Nathaniel asked. "You're concerned that I'm planning a future with her?"

Anders glanced over, unable to read the tone. "More or less," he replied.

"I am, though you needn't worry," Nathaniel said quietly. "She has been very clear on where she stands."

"Then…" Anders began, perplexed.

"I told her that I would wait. If she does not end up with Hawke as she believes, then I believe she will be happy with me."

"I believed the same, once, as have others" Anders said in argument. "But I cannot fathom how you would be all right with being someone she settles for… for being second choice."

Nathaniel looked away, his voice going even more quiet. "I had resigned myself to not being a choice for anyone," he answered. "Before joining the wardens, finding a suitable wife was all that was planned for me. After, I assumed that I would never have the opportunity. Wardens aren't exactly encouraged to marry and such, as you know."

"Yeah," Anders replied.

"But… with Cat, it could be different. She is so concerned with changing the story, and being with a warden would mean that there would be fewer changes, less involvement directly. She would live in obscurity, there would be little chance of offspring, and we could travel as much as she wanted to see her friends."

"You've given this some thought," Anders replied.

"Eventually, she will realize that in order to be with Hawke, she will have to tell him the truth," Nathaniel added. "And I am thinking that she will not be willing to do that. But, since I am already aware, she will not have that keeping her from being with me. We are compatible, and though she has closed herself off from thinking of me romantically, there is attraction. I do not see it as second choice," he concluded. "I think that she will come to realize that I am the __only__ choice, and I am ensuring that when she discovers this, she will know that I will be waiting for her."

Anders wanted to continue to argue, but Nathaniel had made several valid points, points that he couldn't tell Varric or even Hawke in order to counter, since they were not privy to the information. He would need to think very carefully, and even speak to Cat about the situation. Because as of that moment, he could see it all happening exactly as Nathaniel explained.

* * *

"Blondie, I didn't expect to see you so soon," Varric said as Anders came to join him at his table.

"I needed a drink, and a few hours away from Nathaniel," came the cross reply, then the mage stepped over to the bar to order a drink, causing Varric to speculate.

Anders came back, a large mug of ale in place of his usual glass of wine.

"What's wrong Blondie?" Varric asked. "It's not like you to drown your sorrows."

"Oh it's plenty like me," Anders shot back. "I just don't much anymore because of Justice."

"I see." Varric waited a minute or two, then spoke again when Anders didn't. "So, are you going to tell me what has your knickers in a twist?" he asked.

Anders grunted, then finally replied. "Nathaniel."

"Shade?" Varric asked with a smirk. "Now that's just surprising Blondie, the two of you not getting along like brothers."

"Yeah, just like you and Bartrand," Anders quipped back.

"Meh," Varric waved that thought away. "So what happened?"

"I just don't like having him underfoot," Anders replied. "Every time I go to Cat's he's there, even if she isn't. It's like he doesn't have warden business to get back to, which I for one __know__ he does."

"You realize how funny it is that YOU are the one complaining about him being a bad warden?" Varric asked with a smirk.

"Yes," Anders groused.

"So what's the real reason?" he asked.

"It's Cat," Anders said, finally getting to the reason he had come to the Hanged Man. He figured he needed help, and Varric was who he had. "Nathaniel is of the impression that she and Hawke won't make it. He is trying to court her, and she won't have it, so he's just waiting until something happens one way or the other, so he can hopefully scoop her up."

Varric seemed to take the information in stride, though he didn't have a chance to reply.

"Who's scooping who up?" Hawke asked as he sat down to join them.

"Hawke," Varric said with a nod in greeting, and Hawke got Norah's attention to get a drink.

"Nothing Hawke, just telling Varric what rumors I've heard," Anders said quickly.

"Oh? Do tell," Hawke said with a grin. "You know how much I enjoy the good ones."

"Really, Hawke, it's not even true…" Varric said.

"Which means it's about Cat," Hawke replied with a roll of his eyes. "Go on, I can take it you know."

They tried to balk, but Hawke pushed harder, so eventually Anders told him, though making it sound as if it were nothing.

"Poor Nathaniel," Hawke said dismissively after Anders finished.

Varric choked on his drink and gave a few coughs. "Do you know something you haven't told me?" he asked Hawke accusingly.

"No, Varric, I've made no decisions," Hawke answered, rolling his eyes again. __The dwarf will not give up!__ he thought. "In fact… I've been thinking that perhaps because I cannot seem to make a decision, that may be the answer."

"What does that mean?" Varric said unhappily.

"If I was in love with her, I would know- wouldn't I? I wouldn't have all these doubts. I wouldn't always be wondering if I could trust her."

"Shouldn't you be talking to her about this?" Anders asked skeptically.

"That's the problem," Hawke replied with a frown. "I can't even figure out how I'm feeling. Hearing her tell me that she loves me doesn't exactly help."

"She said that?" Varric asked sharply. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded as he scurried to write it down.

"For that exact reaction…" Hawke drawled.

"Hmph," Varric answered.

"I suppose that you've decided to keep an eye on the two of them then?" Hawke asked Anders, who scowled at him.

"You would think that a little of the jealous, possessive Hawke would show his face about this," Anders complained. "The man is waiting to steal your woman."

"I won't argue since you seem to think that," Hawke muttered. "Why do you think I feel sorry for him?" Hawke asked. "He is waiting for a woman, who is in love with another man. I had thought for awhile that I was in the same situation, and it is not a good place to be. He's a good man, and deserves better."

"Better than Cat?!" Anders said, outraged.

"Better than the situation," Hawke sighed. "Look, I know you all are invested in what happens between us, and I am trying to get it all sorted out, okay?" He chugged the rest of his drink and stood. "I've got to get home," he said, as he walked away.

"You just got here!" Varric called after him.

"Seems it is still a sore point," Anders muttered.

"I thought we were going to have to keep Hawke from killing Shade, not this," Varric added. "After everything that happened with Curly? It's almost shocking to see Hawke react like this."

Varric watched, as Anders sat up, his eyes glinting, and a wicked smirk on his face. "What? What did I say?" he asked the mage.

"Curly… that's the Knight Captain, right?" Anders asked.

"Yeah…" Varric replied, bewildered. "I mean, you've seen his hair, right?"

"Cat was just telling me earlier, that she's gone to see him several times now, and she's been banned from the Gallows. Not even her messages have gotten in."

"Is that so?" Varric drawled, understanding dawning on him. "I'm sure with Aveline's help, we could lure Curly out for a night of drinks with the Champion?"

"And if Cat happens to show?" Anders asked with a grin.

"Intriguing idea Blondie… that would be a show I simply __cannot__ miss."


End file.
